Let's Fly
by Queen of the Fairytales
Summary: Lena and Rafi are orphans as are the rest of their friends she can't trust anyone, and he just doesn't want to feel alone anymore. This is their story, one of love, and the adventures they have on the way to meeting destiny. NOT a fairytale. more fantasy.
1. Intro to the New, and the Story

**All right! I am sooooo sorry! But I have thought about this story so much in the past few days and I have had an epiphany!! This story is now under ****major ****construction!! And it will be better than before!! I have finally figured out how to put things like I want them, and yet still have all of you guys' and my favorite scenes…. It'll just be out of order from the first one.**

**So, without further ado, here is the first chapter redone!!**

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By reading this story, you will embark on a journey, one of love, lust, hurt, and **way **too much drama.

This is my story—and his story, but his doesn't even start for a while—at times, you may feel the need to cry, or feel sorry for me—or him… but that's off topic.

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Here in this time, on this new Earth, we are smarter. We have not killed off any entire races, we have not committed any holocausts, we have never enslaved anyone, and we have never tried to 'fix' the world, because it has never been broken.

We still have cell phones, and cars, and electricity—thanks to you guys—but instead of using non-renewable, not biodegradable, and environmentally unsafe products; we use biodegradable, renewable, and environmentally safe products. Our cars run on liquefied wheat (don't ask me how) and our plastics can decompose within a month.

We were given our world after you all destroyed yours. Our race was derived from the people who cared deeply about trying to save yours, and because of that, everyone in our new world strives to leave it alone, and not mess too much with it.

As a result of our world being based and built from yours, we still have things around that were written/created/made from your time… have you ever heard of the Twilight series? By Stephanie Myers? Those are my favorite books, the only ones I ever take anywhere with me, but sadly, only the first three of that series ever made it to our world from yours, so I have never known how the story ended.

Now, enough about the world, and my surroundings… on to the beginning of my adventure.

I am a girl, who lost her parents at ten, was torn away from her life-long friends, and then two years later, abandoned by her older brother when he left for his school of choice.

I have been moved from foster home to foster home since I was ten, up until I was twelve, my older brother left me to go to school, one of the special schools, Pandora. In our new world, most everyone has powers, super powers. The ones who don't are accepted as they are, but they don't get the experience of the schools. I was one of them—the duds. Even though my brother inherited his powers gene from our parents—the greatest super heroes of all time, along with my friends' parents—I didn't get it… or so I thought.

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**I know, I know! Don't yell at me!! But I garuntee you that this version will be better in the end! I will even put up more than one chapter today!**


	2. Meeting Up

**Ok, this is chapter 2, I'm soooo excited to hear what you guys think!! If you don't like this one as much as the last story, just tell me, and I will post them separately.**

"I don't get it! I've been in the program for six years, and suddenly someone want to adopt me? I don't think so." I said to my social worker. She was a nice woman, with her long red hair up in a bun, and her thick rimmed glasses, she kind of reminded me of someone I used to know… but for the life of me, I still after six years, couldn't figure out who.

"Look, Lena, I've never met this couple before, but you are nearing the age of adult hood. You need to get picked up by a family soon, otherwise, you know that the government will require me to put you into the 'permanently orphaned file,' and you know that's bad! You'll be considered some kind of criminal, or worse!" Gracie said.

"Gracie, I don't care about any stupid system! My life has been so messed up since the day my parents disappeared…" I drifted off into my memories, the ones of me and my laughing friends, of my loving family…of the home I will never have again. I shook my head, and the memories retreated back to where they should be. The part of my mind that I couldn't access on my own.

"Fine, but I don't think that this couple will take no for an answer," was her final comment before we pulled into the dirt driveway of a very…quaint looking cottage.

"_This_ is the environment you want me to live in!" I shouted as I slammed the car door, and strutted to the front door.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you didn't mess it up for yourself," she muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Fine, but it wont be fun."

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I sat down on the couch, completely annoyed, and angry. This _couple_ could quite possibly be the nicest people I've ever met, and it was completely _annoying._

"Honey, would you like any pie?" asked Lilly, the short, black haired, and the nicest woman I've ever met.

"No, thank you though." I smiled my sweetest smile.

"You are so polite!" Gregory, Lilly's husband exclaimed, his also short frame fit next to Lilly's perfectly, and his blonde, almost white hair, contrasted with his wife's in a cute way.

"Well, I don't want to be a bother to you any more. Lena, be good," Gracie warned.

"I will, don't worry!" I gave her a fake happy smile as she closed the door behind her.

"Lena, it's time for you to meet your new roommates," Lilly said as she walked towards the stairs.

"Roommates? You two didn't say anything about any _roommates._"

"Well, we didn't think it would be a problem, considering who it is…" Gregory trailed off, following his wife. Dumbfounded, I just followed them up the light wooden stairs into the coolest teenage room I've seen since four foster homes ago. The walls were a light blue, the ceiling was black, and the furniture matched in everyway with the décor.

"Lena? LENA OHMIGOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THEY DRAGGED YOU HERE TOO! IT'S BEEN FOREVER!" screamed a voice. I was suddenly ambushed by a mass of frizzy, curly red hair; and it suddenly dawned on me who Gracie's hair reminded em of.

"Manda? Manda! It's really you!!" I pushed her far enough away to where I could see her face, her familiar face with the pasty skin and the hundreds of freckles that I hadn't seen in six years. The bright grass green eyes that I have missed so much.

"I know, after we were put into different foster homes after the, uh—disappearance of our parents and all—we just lost touch…" her eyes misted over and filled with a few tears as she was lost to her own memories.

"Do you know what happened to any of the others?" I asked anxiously.

"Have you not noticed who is standing and sitting in this room?" a voice said from behind Manda. My wild-haired friend slowly stepped to the side revealing the people I had missed most for the last six years.

I couldn't help it—I started to cry. "I—I missed you guys so much!" I sobbed, and sank down onto one of the beds' blue comforters.

"Lena! We all missed each other! It's hard to grow up with four people, know everything about them, and then just be torn away… especially after the—well, you know." Kiki said, as she and her twin, Naomi, sat down and put their arms around me. Manda also moved behind me and rubbed my back. There was one person who I noticed didn't even move from her standing point across the room.

"Tara?" I asked after I stopped sobbing.

"Lena." She growled.

"Don't worry, she has been very different since she came here. Very moody and broods over everything." Naomi gossiped into my ear, I smiled. I know of that at least three of my friends hadn't changed that much in looks or personality in six years.

"Tara, I haven't seen you in six years, and yet you still manage to act mad at me!" I joked, wiping my eyes. I saw her smile for the first time since I'd seen her again.

"Aw, come here you!" she said, opening her arms for a hug. I ran to her, the others following, and we all collapsed onto another one of the five full beds.

"Ok, so we have a lot of catching up to do!" squealed Kiki and Naomi at the same time. I guess since they were twins they were the only ones allowed to travel around together.

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"Wait, so you've been in twenty different foster homes?" asked Tara, she had loosened up a bit since we started to talk.

"Yah, let's just say none of them worked out that well. Anyway, why, after all these years, are we finally re-united again? Why not earlier?" I asked.

"That would be something to ask Lilly and Gregory," said Tara, looking down and messing with her shirt hem, hiding her abnormally colored red eyes as her coal black hair fell into her face.

"Fine then, I will."

"Lena wait!" shouted Naomi as I ran down the stairs.

"Lilly, Gregory, can I ask you a question?" I asked, walking into the medium-sized kitchen, where they were sitting at a rather large round table.

"We already know what you're going to ask, and we need to wait until the boys get here to tell you," Gregory said, not looking up from his newspaper.

"BOYS!" I heard Naomi scream from outside the swinging door, she, along with the others, suddenly fell into the room.

"Yes, boys, all five of them will be here in less than an hour," Lilly said, not looking up from her book.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING! I'M STILL IN MY SWEATS FROM THE PLANE RIDE!" with that, she sprinted up the stairs, and slammed the bathroom door, we wouldn't see her again for another good thirty minutes.

Kiki rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry about my twin, she's just a little boy crazy."

"A little? Try ginormously obsessed with them," Tara bitterly scowled. I sighed, Tara's good attitude melted away the minute she stepped over the threshold of our room.

"Whatever," I muttered, "Where's the T.V.?" I asked.

"We don't have one," Gregory flipped a newspaper page.

"Alright, how about the computer?" I tried again.

"Don't have one of those either, sweetie," Lilly finally looked up from her book.

"Ugh!" I stomped out of the room, finding my over read twilight books in my suitcase, and settling down, planning to read through at least half of it.

**Please tell me how you're liking this version!!**


	3. Pure Power

**(Ok, so this is the third time I've added stuff to this chapter...thanks reviewers! Sorry for the inconvenience.)**

**Chapter 3:**

**Pure Power**

I've always been hyper-aware of people's presences, so when a strange one that I didn't know walked through the door, I shot up from my nap. I apparently had fallen asleep in the middle of my book.

"Who are you? Get out!" I screamed at the strange boy. He was wearing baggy black pants, with a plain white t-shirt. His dark chestnut hair was flopping into his eyes in a slightly sexy way, but I wasn't going to be the one to tell him that.

"Look, that _sweet _couple downstairs just sent me up here to get you, don't worry, I didn't want to come get sleeping beauty, no matter how hot she is," was all he said. I liked how he had sneered when he mentioned Lilly and Gregory, but they way he looked at me when he said that last part made me want to strangle him. He also didn't even mention his name, and the way he sauntered out of the room… I don't know why, but that boy infuriated me on a level that made me want to murder someone. I could tell that for however long I have to stay here, I was not going to have very much fun.

I crossed my arms over my chest as I stood up to follow him. "Look, I don't know you, but you should get over yourself before someone decides to do something about your cockiness."

"Ooh, feisty! I like it!" We were walking down the stairs now, but he stopped a step down from me.

"Ugh, your such a pig." I muttered, and rolled my eyes as I pushed past him to get down the stairs.

"Aw, give me a chance, I can be nice!" he blocked my way, yet again, and leaned in for a kiss… and that's when I punched him.

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**(Finally, Rafi's POV)**

"Dude! Dude! Rafi! Are you ok?" I heard someone ask, as I came out of what felt like a drugged stupor.

"If feeling like I've just been hit by twenty cars, then yes, I am fine." I growled as I stood up.

"That chick hit you pretty hard!" Brendan started to laugh at what I'm guessing my face looked like when I fell down the stairs after being punched by a girl.

"It was pretty funny!" I heard a female voice squeal, and then a bunch of girly giggles filled the air.

"Yah, Lena, I think that's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time! And you knocked him out too!" another girl screamed.

"She knocked me out?" I hissed at Brendan, pulling his thick frame towards me.

"Dude, you were out cold before you hit the stairs. The amazing thing was when Gregory said some weird word, and then you floated to the floor."

I snickered in disbelief.

"The funny thing is, that's true." A voice whispered in my ear. I jumped, the girl from earlier, Lena, was right behind me.

"A little jumpy are we? How do you feel? Ooh, I bet that bruise really hurts." She said with false concern.

"What—OW!" I shouted, as I found the bruise she was speaking of, I'm surprised that my eye isn't swollen shut. I quickly ran to the rather large mirror on the wall of the living room, and groaned at the sight of my bruise. It was a nasty purple color, and faded to a gross greenish black around the edges.

"How long have I been out?"

"Well, _sleeping beauty_, I knocked you out for about… forty-five minutes." She was gloating in all the attention she was getting from her friends.

I muttered some foul words, and sat down on the couch, she just gave me a smirk and sat down on the matching opposite one. Both the couches and the solitary chair were yellow, bright yellow to be exact, and contrasted with the black carpet and walls, in a fashionable way.

"Well, now that we are all conscious," said Lilly.

"We would like you guys to introduce yourselves to the group." Gregory finished, sitting in the chair while his wife sat on the armrest.

"Well, as you all know, I am Lena, famous for knocking out ass holes." The girl stood up as she said this, and I really noticed her for the first time. She had long light brown hair, with dark red highlights, and it framed her face nicely as it fell down past the middle of her back. She was wearing a plain black shirt with self-cutoff sleeves, and a band name written across the front. Her jeans were ripped in many places, revealing more skin than concealing.

"Yes well, I am Rafi, famous for making women swoon with a look." She snorted, and I pretended to be wounded, as I fell back to my seat on the couch. Brendan had sat down next to me also; with three other guys I have yet to meet. I only knew Brendan because he had been in one of my last orphan homes. The other four girls had sat down next to Lena, and they were all whispering excitedly about something.

"I'm Kiki," one girl stood up, and you could tell that she was completely out of her comfort zone; completely red in the face she sat back down.

"Sorry about my sister, I'm Naomi," for a second, I thought that it was the same girl. They looked exactly the same, since they were twins, and had stick straight blue-black hair, that fell to their shoulders, their only difference was their eyes, one had the dark gray eyes of a summer storm, while the other had the dark blue eyes of the deep ocean. She sat back down, and a pale, wildly red and curly haired girl stood up, with bright grass green eyes, and the tall figure of someone who should be on a runway somewhere, she introduced herself as Manda. The next girl to stand up was just a little intimidating, what with her dark makeup, short, spiky hair, with random red streaks that were the color of a ripe tomato.

"Tara, stay out of my way, and we won't have any problems." She sat down, and I exchanged an eyebrow raise with Brendan while the girls started to giggle again.

"Ok, now you guys," Gregory gestured to the other guys.

"I'm Brendan, and I don't have anything to add," the only person I knew stood up, what with his thick muscles and square jaw, someone could easily believe that he was a professional fighter.

"I am Adam," said a boy with redish brown hair said as he raised his hand, too lazy to get up off the couch.

"I'm Kelvin," a boy with spiky blonde hair and blue tips stood up, crossed his arms, and plopped back down on the couch.

Finally, the most interesting person on my side of the room stood up, looking like something out of a modeling magazine. His longish dirty blond hair had highlights, but they were so randomly colored, and so randomly placed, that you could tell that they were natural. The color of the highlights was the most interesting part, and it seemed that every color under the sun was held on this one guys head; and I think he knew it too, because as he stood up, he shook his head in a casual way that made his hair shift and show even more color. I hated him for it, he was sure to steal all of the girls' attention. Not that what I was getting was positive anyway… "I'm Landan, and I would really appreciate it if we could just get on here. I'm not a very patient person, and whatever it is that we were all suddenly called here for, I wanna know, now!" he fidgeted as he said this, then fell back onto the couch.

"Alright, now that we are all introduced, my wife and I would like to tell you all a story."

"What?! No! I want to know why we are here. Why now? Why not earlier? Ugh! I hate not knowing things!" said Lena in frustration.

"Calm down Lena, we are going to tell you all that you need to know…right…about…now," Lilly opened a book, and a holographic person was suddenly standing on the black coffee table that is in between the furniture. The young-ish looking woman started to speak:

_To whoever opened this HVB (hologram video booklet), you are about to find out what you are, since only one person can have it at this point is… Oh, never mind._

_The ten of you are apart of something special, you all are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime, you are about to discover what you were meant to be._

_A long time ago, when our new world was created, God gave his new creation protectors. Ten people, 5 men, and 5 women, and they were given the assignment of protecting the new Earth, so that what happened to the old world would never happen again. Two people, one man and one woman, would each control one element, with the exception of the Keepers. The Keepers can control both all four elements, and one of the Stones. Each Keeper uses either the Chamaran, or the Yolonon. Each stone holds all of the powers that each of you are about to be given, and as soon as this debriefing is over, whoever was assigned to be your Teachers in whatever century it is now, you all will be given more information about what it is you are._

_What? _The woman spoke to someone outside the hologram's screen.

_Oh, right, by the way, you all are the Guardians, magical protectors of the environment, and against evil._

_Sorry, I forgot! Don't—_the woman was cut off, as the hologram video booklet was shutoff.

"Well, now that you know what you all are, are there any questions?"

"Of course! Are you all on _crack_? The last Guardians aren't even dead yet! Why should we take over now?!" shouted Lena, who, of course is the first one to speak.

"Maybe because there wouldn't be anyone to train us if they were already dead?" I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

She got up, and I met her halfway around the coffee table I don't know what it is about her, but she really got on my nerves, but at the same time, I was really attracted to the way a short piece of her hair fell into her dark violet eyes.

"Don't make me punch you again, you lousy son of a—" she was interrupted by a clearing of a throat. "Gun." She gave a smirk and went back to her couch. I stayed up front and asked the question that was burning my mind.

"So when do we get to be our super-selves?"

"It's called your Guardian form, and as soon as the two Keepers can find the stones, that we have hidden somewhere in the house, you all can become your Guardian selves." Gregory said.

"How do we know who the Keepers are?" questioned Kiki, who went red again, and hid behind her sister.

"They should know themselves, all they have to do is open their minds, and fully give themselves over to their surroundings." Lilly explained.

"How are we supposed to do that?" asked Brendan.

"Yah, I thought you said we were only super in our Guardian forms?" Naomi said, after listening to her sister whisper in her ear.

"You all will be able to communicate outside your guardian forms…once you change for the first time. But the Keepers should be able to do it now, and both of them should know—to an extent—that they are the Keepers by now." Gregory said. I noticed that Lena wasn't as lively as before; she was nervously messing with her hands in her lap.

_I don't think this can really be happening! I can't be the Keeper! I don't deserve this…_ her voice left my mind as quickly as it had come. This has happened a lot over the past few years, random spurts of peoples' thoughts entering my mind, well, mostly Brendan, and now _Lena?_

So, I did what Lilly had said to do. I opened my mind, I fully felt the presences of the rest of the people in the room, and I could feel a power resonating from a room down the hall behind the closed door to my left. I turned, and opened the door, all with my eyes closed, and made my way to the door about five feet away on my right. In the bathroom, which is what the door led to, and underneath the sink, I met the pure power with my own mind, and I blacked out for the second time that day.

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**(Lena's POV)**

"Hey, where did Rafi go?" asked the boy named Brendan suddenly, I finally looked up from my hands.

"He left about five minutes ago, and is passed out on the bathroom floor down that hall," I nodded to the now open door in front of me.

Everyone rushed down the hall, except Gregory, he came and sat down next to me on the couch, I tensed up immediately, remembering painful things from foster homes past.

"Don't worry Lena, I think I'm the only one who noticed that." He adjusted his glasses as he said this, and looked into my eyes, opening his arms for a hug. I shrugged out from under his fatherly embrace, and looked away from his shining, oddly golden eyes. "Lena, it's ok to trust me."

I looked back into his eyes, a big mistake, because now I started to blurt the truth. "You don't know how hard that would be for me… You don't know how many times I've—" I cut off, trying to hold back a sob, and looked back down.

"Fine, just—just do me a favor and go find the Chamaran already." I looked up, surprised.

He winked at me, "Just because I'm retired, doesn't mean I can't still access some of my powers." He pointed to his temple and raced down the hall to where the others were.

"Fine, but I'm not going to like it…" I whispered to myself. I closed my eyes, and sucked in a surprised breath as I felt everyone's presences, even though they were down the hall, I could feel them as if they were standing right next to me.

And then I felt the pure power resonating from the reading room upstairs.

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When I finally made contact with what I'm guessing is the Chamaran, its power filled me, what it knew spread through my mind, and I was suddenly filled with the understanding and wisdom expected of me as the Keeper.

I smiled as I walked downstairs to find that Rafi was just waking up.

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**Hi guys! I hope you like this chapter! Please tell me what you think about their new attitudes and stuff! I would **_**love**_** to know how you guys think this new version is going! I'm going to start replying to your reviews here... it's easier than going in and writing a different one for each person. Oh! and if any of you spot any mistakes/typos, just let me know and I'll fix it...**

**Bella Bambola: I know! I love how it's flowing now that I've given it a more future-like time frame and technology.**

**Thai Libre: I love all of your reviews! You're so honest, and your tips help me a lot! I hope that Lilly and Gregory don't seem as sweet in this chapter. I also fixed some things in the last two chapters after I read your reviews, and it sounds better, and makes more sense now!**


	4. And Then the Pain

**Ok, so I had to redo the last chapter a lot, because I left some things out, including poor Adam!! Thank you so much to my reviewers out there who helped! I still can't believe that I forgot Adam!**

**So here's the new chapter. (recently updated… I don't know how different it is, so just re-read and makes sure!)**

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**Chapter 4:**

**And Then the Pain**

**(Rafi's POV)**

"You know, it seems like I've only seen you awake twice since I've met you." Said Lena, somehow different, climbing down the stairs, a strange new necklace hanging around her neck.

"You're just jealous that you can't look as handsome when you get knocked out," I sneered back.

"Hey, whatever floats you boat, Black Eyed Billy," I winced as I unintentionally felt the bruise around my eye.

"What happened to me?" I asked, giving up trying to win our spat.

"I think you were overwhelmed by the power and information you received unwillingly when you made first contact with the Yolonon." Lilly said, her brow furrowed, "Are you all right? Gregory, I can't remember, did you pass out when you made contact the first time?"

He chuckled, "No, but every generation is different."

"Wait, what? You guys are the Keepers?" Landan asked, confused.

"No, we were the last Keepers, and when we retire—at the age of twenty-five, might I add—we are given the duty of finding the next generation of Guardians," Lilly simply stated, looking at her nails.

"What my wife means—" Gregory cut off as he gave her a pointed look, "Is that we are to be your parental figures for a while, taking care of you, training you, and getting you ready to go to Solaris."

"Solaris?" asked Manda, her eyes starting to shine, in fact, all five girls' eyes started to shine brightly, with some hope that was unexplained and unknown to the rest of us.

"Yes, it is the school that has been attended by the Guardians since their creation. In fact, there are two special houses for you all, one for the boys, one for the girls." Lilly explained yet again.

"Why do we have to go to Solaris?" asked Adam, finally speaking up, and turning slightly pink in the face as he spoke out.

"Well, we can't train you for forever, we just ready you, and catch you up to the other sophomores there, you guys will be enrolling as new students." Said Gregory.

"Why late?" Kelvin asked.

"Well, the Yolonon and Chamaran can't seem to decide which orphans are best suited for the job until then."

"Wait, so everyone that has ever been Guardians are orphans!" exclaimed Kiki, quickly turning bright red again, and stepping back.

"Yes, it is just the way of the system. I think it's so parents wont get angry with us for taking you away for a whole two months.

"Two months! Doesn't school start in two months?" I asked.

"Yes," Lilly said simply.

"So when does this so called training start?" Lena asked, finally pushing her way back into the group. She had been standing quite a ways off, messing with the Chamaran, and studying the intricate silver work around the diamond that was round to perfection, and so clear you could see through it.

I looked down at my own trinket, the design of intricate gold, lacing both sides of the clear, round diamond, seemed to have some pattern, but I couldn't figure out what it was.

"Rafi? Rafi?" I looked up as my name was called.

"What?"

"Did you hear what I just said?" asked Gregory, his face in a serious, teacher-like expression.

"Sorry, no."

"Well, we are all going to go outside. To start your training, you all have to go through your first transformation."

I narrowed my eyes with an unspoken question.

"It will be a little painful at first, but after about the first few, the transformations will get easier and easier until you barely even feel them."

I got up off of the couch, and walked out the back door, eleven people following me. I realized with a start that I could feel their presences. Kelvin and Naomi seemed to have a sort of _cold _and _wet _aura, if that explains anything; Tara and Brendan seemed to have a _hot_ and _flickering _aura, again, if that explains anything; while Manda and Adam seemed to have a _soft _and _earth-like _essence surrounding them. I couldn't make any sense of it. But then, I found Lena, her aura and essence was the most invigorating, she seemed to be surrounded by all of those I felt before, but then again, she had a sort of power flowing from somewhere around her chest, but that is probably the Chamaran.

Lilly and Gregory had the least amount of aura around them, but I could feel the slight presence of what they used to be.

"What do we do now?" Lena demanded, not as polite as I could tell Lilly and Gregory would like.

"Well, first off, you can start by using your manners around your Teachers, and then you can get in two circles, girls, and boys." Gregory's too sweet, too fatherly act seemed to be wearing off, showing his tough, no nonsense personality.

We did as we were told, Brendan and Tara grumbling, while Naomi whispered excitedly with her sister.

"Now," Lilly walked around my circle, until she stood between Lena's and mine. "Lena, Rafi, I want you two to step into the middle, the rest of you, move until there is one on there left, one on their right, one at their back, and one at their front. Make sure that there is at least two feet of space between all of you.

Again, we did as we were told.

"This is the formation that you all will take, each time you want to go into your Guardian form, you must be in this pattern." Gregory went on, he and his wife had obviously thought all of this through before they brought us here.

"Now, for the final step in this process," Lilly paused.

Gregory picked up where she left off, "Rafi, Lena, do what you did to find the stones, but this time, keep in contact with the presence inside each one, and wait for it to send you a word, one word, and repeat it out loud, in a strong, clear voice."

I waited, and waited, and waited, until I started to fidget, my eyes closed, my mind connected with the Yolonon's, and then it was there, like I had known it all along, the word.

"_Mutatio!" _Lena and I said at the same time, the same tone of authority, and sureness in our voices.

I heard several screams, and unintentional groans from everyone, one probably coming out of me, as we were forced into the air, probably twenty feet above the ground.

And then the pain hit.

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**(Lena's POV)**

The fire in my shoulders wouldn't seem to go away, I could feel appendages growing from my shoulder blades where there hadn't been any before. My clothes changed, the fabric turning into some unknown texture that hugged my every curve. The fire slowly died as my feet slowly made contact with the soft grass.

"Wha—" I was cut off as two blood curdling screams came from my right.

"This was not in the explanation!" screamed Naomi.

"I have wings! Wings for gods' sakes!" shouted Kiki.

"Girls! Girls! Calm down! It will be alright, the wings will disappear after you change back!" Lilly tried to calm them. I was suddenly filled with knowledge that might help.

"_Intrepidus!" _I said, clearly and forcefully.

The girls' faces suddenly filled with understanding, the confusion and fear gone. Manda stopped rocking back and forth on the ground, shaking, and Tara quit looking for somewhere to run.

The boys' reactions were much different, being boys, they just leaped into the air, going with the flow, and flying about, shouting with laughter.

"And they couldn't just do that?" I asked myself.

Lilly must have heard, because she was suddenly at my side, looking relaxed and thankful.

"I know, the girls' reactions are always much more overdone, they know what's coming, and yet they always manage to make it seem like the world is ending. I also had to use that spell first."

"Spell?" I was confused.

"As long as you have that power-filled stone around your neck, you have the power to use spells, and control the elements, just like your sisters." She nodded to the others, as they all examined their wings and outfits.

"Ah, so I can do more than them?"

"Yes, and they will be mad, once they learn this, but what they don't realize is that you and I have, or had in my case, the hardest time trying to master all of our powers, since there are so many, and not enough time with our Teachers, we never truly master them. The only Keepers to ever truly master the Chamaran and Yolonon were the first ones, but we don't know how they did it. Apparently it's a secret that each set of Keepers has to figure out on their own." She smiled as she looked up at the sky, following the others as they flew about, "I miss it, the sensation of flying is like no other feeling you will ever experience, and is the only one that I truly mastered…" she trailed off, her memories taking over her consciousness.

I smiled, and left her to her memories. I gestured to Gregory, having him go and join her, a moment of pure love passing between them. I smiled again, but it faded quickly as a vision of my parents having the same look pass between them came to the surface. Tears pricked my eyes, and so consumed with grief was I, that I didn't notice Rafi behind me.

"Lena?" I turned, trying to conceal my tears. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I answered shortly.

"You don't really look fine." He looked concerned, and tried to give me a comforting pat, something a friend would do. I shied away from his touch, his hand barely grazing my shoulder, my eyes widened, and memories of one of my past foster dads came to the surface. His ugly face floating into my vision, the feeling of his hands everywhere, the way he forced me to… I shook my head, and realized that Rafi was looking at me with alarm.

"I'm fine." I said again.

"Well, you kinda spaced out there… and then you started to moan, like you were in physical pain…" he trailed off as he looked at me, too much concern in his eyes.

"Come on! Let's fly!" I shouted, false cheer thick in my voice. And with that, I jumped into the air, letting the pure instinct that comes with having wings take over, a confused Rafi following me into the air.

* * *

**Well, how was it? I guess I need to make sure that this story is marked 'M' so that some un-expecting five year old doesn't learn from me how bad the world can really be**

**Please tell me if you like it!**

**Bella Bambola: OMG!! You saved poor Adam's existence! I still can't believe that I forgot him! Thank you soooo much!!**

**Thai Libre: Thank you soo much for helping me with the creepy Gregory and the misspellings!!**


	5. Not That I Cared or Anything

**I fixed it!! I fixed all the craziness and stupidness that this chapter was before I fixed it!! So read and review and tell me how much better it is!!**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

**Not That I Cared or Anything**

**(Lena's POV)**

"…So to make up for this problem, we are having all of you go into separate rooms with your partners, so that you can all get to know the people you will be working with for the next ten or so years." Gregory concluded with the lesson on Guardian history, probably the most boring subject and lesson we had been taught all week. Now, he was making us go into a room with the other Guardian that shares our powers. So, I will be going into a room with Rafi; Kiki with Landan; Naomi with Kelvin; Manda with Adam; and Tara with Brendan.

I rolled my eyes with excitement as I was led into the music room with Rafi following. His black Nikes, squeaked on the hardwood floor as he sat down on the piano bench. Gregory closed the door in my face as I tried to ask him how long we'd be in here.

"So," Rafi said awkwardly, his hair falling into his eyes, which made me go crazy, for about the millionth time that day.

"Yah, so…" I turned away, straightening some sheet music that was sitting on the top of the piano.

He started to play some random keys, which then turned into a melody I recognized.

"Hey, I know that song." I said, turning back to him.

"It's my favorite, I know it by heart." He said, shrugging.

"I didn't know you played." I said, propping my elbows on the back of the piano, facing him.

"I learned from one of my past foster parents, and never really stopped playing. Do you play anything?"

"If you count using my iPod, yes." I smiled when he chuckled at my corny joke.

"Well, you just learned something interesting about me, so I want to know something about you."

"Uh, well, I grew up with the other girls," it sounded more like a question.

"I kinda figured, how about I just ask you a question." He got up and went to sit in the huge satellite-looking chair across the room. I followed and sat in the opposite one.

"Ok, but there have to be rules," I said, getting comfortable.

"Alright, what are they?"

"I can pass a question if I don't want to answer. I get to ask you a question for every one you ask me, and we aren't allowed to laugh at each other."

"Done. So I noticed something about you girls the other day when Lilly and Gregory mentioned Solaris."

"Did you now? I didn't think you were that observant.'

"Give me a break! Anyway, you all seemed to get hopeful and excited when they mentioned we would be going there. Why is that?" he asked, I was surprised that he actually did notice that.

"Our parents all went there, and graduated top of their class. They all started a company together, you may have heard of it, For Thoughts Sake?"

"Dude! I love their products! I heard that the biggest factory had a fire a few years back and that the founders disappeared."

"Yah, my brother and I couldn't believe that out of all ten of them, no one could do anything. Some of the workers claimed that they got out, that they left like an hour before the fire even started, but they never came home, or anything. People from our neighborhood searched for months, but they were never heard or seen from again."

Rafi reached across the small space between the chairs, and patted my hand comfortingly, but when he touched me a huge shock passed between us, making all the hairs on my arms stand up, and frizz come to my hair.

"That wasn't weird…" he said, looking into my eyes. I suddenly realized that we were leaning towards each other, and moved back to where we couldn't even touch.

"Yah, but I'm pretty sure its because you don't know how to use fabric softener." I teased.

"My laundry skills have nothing to do with the ways your hatefulness likes to come out," he teased back.

"I'm not hateful!"

"Do you remember what you did to me the first day we met?"

"Duh! The proof is still right there!" I pointed to his face. "And you deserved it! You were a complete ass when we met!"

"Not true!" we were fighting now, our playful banter turned hateful.

"Uh, let's see, 'I didn't want to come get sleeping beauty, no matter how hot she is,' or when you tried to kiss me? I didn't even know you!"

"In my defense, that was just an act to get everyone to like me!"

"Well, in the act, you lost one potential friend!" I screamed, angrily walking for the door, only to find it locked from the outside. "Ugh! Who even puts a lock on the outside of a door!" I turned around and leaned back on the door, sliding down to the floor with my feet splayed out in front of me.

I glared at him from across the room, my anger growing with every thought I had about how the sunset behind him, and the pink glow in the sky just added to how hot he looked. He glared right back, but eventually he turned away, getting up and sitting back down at the piano, and playing a beautiful tune that I didn't recognize. I closed my eyes, listening to the calming tone of the music, letting it soothe my hostile mood. The music stopped, but I kept my eyes closed, and hummed a lullaby that my mother used to sing to me when I was upset.

"Look, I'm sorry if I offended you when we met, but I really was attempting to be cool, I was not trying to be an ass." He slid down beside me, wary not to touch me after what happened the last time.

"It's okay, just be careful around me, I'm not as hardy as I look."

"Well, I still feel bad, I don't always realize what I say and do when I try to impress people." His expression was sincere and nothing more when I opened my eyes to look at him.

"It's ok, its still not the worst thing a man has ever done to me…" the memories came back again, they just don't stay put in that dark corner anymore.

"You get that pained expression a lot you know, and it's not exactly something people just let go. What is wrong? What do you remember that makes you feel physical pain?" His concern was comforting in a new strange way, and it scared me how much this guy was starting to effect me.

"Pass." I gave a weak smile, and looked back down.

"Alright, so what's your question for me?" he asked, changing the subject flawlessly. My smile widened, and I looked back up.

"Why are you so nosey?" I asked, his smile didn't falter, but he did get a funny look in his eyes, like he wanted to get me back for it.

"I don't know, I've always liked to annoy people, well according to fellow roommates and foster parents. Why are you so intent on trying to make me mad?"

"I'm not one to trust, much less befriend very easily." Suddenly uncomfortable by our closeness, I got up and moved back to one of the dome chairs, swiveling it to face the sunset.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" he asked, swiveling the other chair to look in the same direction.

"Yes, before they disappeared, my parents would take me and my brother on a camping trip once a month. We only did it because as a family, we never got any time together, since our parents and the others' parents were so close, we all lived in a mansion together. So while we were camping, for my family bonding activity of the weekend, I would always drag my parents and brother to the top of the highest hill in the campground, overlooking the lake, and we would sit and watch the sunset for hours…" I trailed off and smiled at the jokes and secrets that had been shared on top of that hill.

"You all lived together?"

"Hey I thought it was my question!" he gave me an apologizing look, but I answered anyway, "Yah, we did, after our parents disappeared, we sold everything except for a few things that were special to us, or reminded us of our parents, and split all of the money into six different accounts—"

"Six?"

"My brother, remember?"

"Oh, go on," he gestured to me.

"Anyway, we split all of the money into six different accounts, and went our separate ways… The twins went to live with their great aunt, but I think she died a few years ago. Manda went to live with a good friend of her grandparents, since they were dead, but I'm pretty sure that they sent her into foster care after a few months. And Tara, well, Tara never told us where she went…" I trailed off, puzzled, why wouldn't she tell us where she went?

"Okay, so now that you've told me all of that, I guess I could tell you about myself."

"Alright, but leave out anything that you feel would make me uncomfortable."

"I was dumped in my first foster home at the age of eighteen months, having no memory whatsoever of my parents. There, I grew up a happy child, never missing one thing about not having parents, that is, until I started grade school. The first time I walked into that classroom, and saw all of those parents trying to shake their children off of their appendages… I don't know, it was like it hit me, I started crying right there, to the horror of my foster father. The next week, I was moved to another foster home due to my chronic crying and attachment to my foster mother."

"You mean, they threw you out because they didn't like that you were getting emotionally attached."

"No. They couldn't stand my nightly, morning, and afternoon crying for the parents that weren't there."

"No, trust me, I know these things from the bottom up. They put you in a different foster home because there is a stupid rule that says if you ever get even slightly more attached to your foster parent that necessary, they have to move you."

"Fine, whatever. So I went through the rest of grade school in that foster home, and moved me again after they realized I had no notion to ever make friends. So my social worker told me that I could either make friends and enjoy my next five years of required school, or I could be moved around from home to home for the next five years. Let's just say that I forced myself to make friends with Brendan, that's where I know him. But, the year I turned 12, and finish the rest of my required schooling, Brendan got moved to another home because he beat up a poor little ten year old, and I again was moved. I actually made friends with a girl named Adriana, and got to stay there until just recently."

"That is quite a story. But mine is better." I said, looking up through my lashes at him. I didn't realize that the sun had set a while ago, and that we had turned our chairs to face each other, and that we had been leaning towards each other after the moment of silence.

The door opened then, quite suddenly, and with a bang.

I sprang back, knocking the chair backwards, and landing with my head touching the floor and my feet in the air, the chair rolling around slightly with me in it.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but there is an important meeting downstairs, and Lilly and Gregory sent me to get yall," said Kelvin. He left, leaving me still upside down, and slightly rolling, on the floor.

"You can tell me that story later," said Rafi, helping me up. We hadn't gotten very far in the process of me getting to my feet, in fact, I was crouching on the floor, when my feet—only covered with slick, furry, purple socks—slipped on the hard wood floor. I pulled Rafi down with me, him landing on top of me.

"Oomf!" I grunted, winded as his taller, heavier, and thicker frame crushed my lungs.

Rafi started to laugh, crushing me even more as his stomach moved over mine.

"Rafi!" I tried to say, but it came out more like "A—I!" only getting out two syllables.

"Oh, sorry," he said between chortles.

"It's okay." I said once I got my breath back, Rafi was still laughing his head off, and watching his stomach move, and his body shake, and his eyes reappear and disappear between his laugh lines, I started to laugh too, and pretty soon, we were both laughing, hollering, and chuckling to the point where tears were running down my face.

"What was so funny again?" I asked, after I'd wiped my eyes, and stopped laughing as hard.

"Your face when I fell on you! It was hilarious!" he apparently mimicked what I'd looked like, and he looked like a fish trying to scowl. I started laughing all over again, more tears coming out of my eyes, and my mascara running even more.

"Alright you two! What's going on! We were supposed to start that meeting like ten minutes ago!" shouted someone from the door, I couldn't tell who it was through my tears, so I felt with my mind. It was Naomi, and she was extremely angry.

"Come on!" she whined, pulling me to my feet, and pushing me out the door, I could tell that Rafi was following, not that I cared or anything.


	6. A Look at the Others

**Ok, so I'm going to do something new with this chapter… it's going to be in 3****rd**** person, and the people the view follows will change, so I will mention that, but just as a heads up, **_**this chapter is in 3**__**rd**__** person.**_

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**Chapter 6: A Look at the Others**

**(Following Naomi)**

Naomi looked at her nails, studying her cuticles as Gregory droned on about something or another.

"Naomi? You coming?" asked Kelvin, the other Water Dancer. With his spiky blue tipped blonde hair, and ocean blue eyes, he was the hottest guy Naomi had ever laid eyes on.

"Uh, yah! Where exactly are we going?" she tried to flirt.

"I knew you weren't listening, to make up for the fact that we don't know each other all that well—" he was cut off.

"We've only been here for a week!" Naomi shouted in frustration. She hated being told to do something, even if she'd been planning on doing it anyway.

"—because we are partners, and need to know each other well to work together the best we can." He finished like he'd never been interrupted, adjusting to Naomi's multiple attitudes quickly.

"Fine, so what room did they put us in?" she asked, curious as to whether or not its going to be a romantic setting or not.

"I think we're stuck in the upstairs bathroom."

"A _bathroom_? I'm stuck in a _bathroom_!!" she screeched, obviously displeased.

"It'll be fine," he rolled his eyes, laughing quietly to himself as he pulled her along to the upstairs bathroom.

"But—but, people go _pee_ in there!" Naomi was a complete girly girl, and hated germs, dirt, etc.

"I think Lilly just cleaned this bathroom this morning."

"Fine. But I wont touch anything." She pouted, sticking out her full bottom lip, which just made her already perfect-seeming features look better.

"You know, I think we'll be fine." Kelvin opened the door to the rather large bathroom, and sat down on the deep red couch.

"This doesn't look like a bathroom." Naomi said lamely.

"You haven't been in here before, have you?" asked Kelvin.

"No, every time I've tried to use this bathroom, its been locked, so I go to the one down the hall."

"This is the nicest one in the house, and I think it's mostly for guests' that need to get away from a party or something. There's a whole cabinet full of make-up and perfume, cologne and over there is a closet full of clothes."

"Wow," was all she could say, she finally moved from the doorway and sat down next to Kelvin, finding her emotions and mood swings were always much worse around him.

"So, I think I've might've noticed some things about you that no one else has mentioned…" Kelvin said casually.

"And what might those things be?" Naomi asked, pleased that he was flirting back, after all of her lame attempts throughout the week.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." Naomi started to lean forward, expecting him to meet her halfway, like all of the other guys she'd ever known, but instead, Kelvin looked away, and Naomi found herself, for the first time, being rejected.

* * *

**(Following Kiki)**

"Gregory, if all of us, I mean, if us and our partners, are supposed to work together, how are we supposed to do that if we know nothing of each other?"

"I was getting to that point," Gregory said, a little aggravated, Kiki and Adam had been doing that throughout the whole lesson, interrupting and making him get ahead of himself.

"But it's just—" Kiki was cut off when she received a harsh glare from him.

"Most of you, with the exception of the girls, haven't really gotten to know each other yet, So to make up for this problem, we are having all of you go into separate rooms with your partners, so that you can all get to know the people you will be working with for the next ten or so years."

Everyone quickly got up and moved to the different rooms they had been assigned to.

Kiki quickly found herself alone with a complete stranger. She couldn't have been more nervous, she was most likely the shyest person alive, and in front of big groups, she always spoke through her much braver sister.

"Well, as long as we're stuck here, we might as well say something." Said Landan, the cute boy with magical—yes, magical, it is the only way Kiki had been able to describe it—hair, and just looking at him made her blush deeply and look down.

"I guess…" she managed to squeak.

"I guess I'll start. I came from a family of sixteen, including my parents, and no one ever seemed to notice me, the middle child. I finally got fed up with being bullied by my older siblings, and going unnoticed by my hard working parents and ran away. I was recently caught a year ago by the authorities, and was put into a foster home, where I have resided up until now." Kiki looked up from the small trinket she had been studying, it was a small paperweight, in the shape of a cat, and from the smooth surface, she could tell that it was someone's favorite.

"My story is a little longer than that," Kiki blushed crimson, and turned to the wall of books behind her.

"Well, why don't you tell me then?" Landan asked softly, coming up behind her.

"Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm not the bravest person around." Kiki spoke up suddenly, and whirling on Landan, startled by his closeness, and not expecting him to have moved, she fell back, landing on the soft carpet.

"That was something pretty brave." Landan laughed softly, helping Kiki up.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be rude or anything—" her rambling was cut short by Landan's hand at her mouth.

"If you will, I would rather you tell me your background, then we can get to the apologies." He raised his eyebrows expectantly, and Kiki went under his spell. Her whole life's story came spilling out, and found that it was easier to be brave around Landan than anyone else she'd ever known.

* * *

**(Following Manda)**

Manda was actually paying attention during the whole lesson, but if you ever asked her what it was about, and why she was being led into a room with Adam, the smart, roguish looking boy with red brown hair, she wouldn't have been able to tell you.

She had been paying attention, but with only a small portion of her mind, the other, bigger portion, had been thinking of ways she could help the world, and everyone in it, with her new powers. Being an Earth Dancer was going to be hard work, and that is what Manda loved so much about it.

Once they were in the laundry room, Adam, being the lazy person he was, immediately jumped up on top of the dryer, and Manda, feeling uncomfortable standing, jumped up on top of the humming washer.

"Well, we might as well get on with it," said Adam sighing, he put his feet up next to him, and leaned against the wall to his right. Manda looked up from where she'd been staring intently at her brown converse, frowning and muttering to herself.

"Huh? What? Sorry, I've been a little preoccupied lately, digesting the information and all…" she trailed off as she studied Adam's face seeing something in his eyes that made her want to reach out and caress his cheek.

"You've had about a week now to digest the information. Don't you think that's enough to get used to the idea of having super powers, I mean, it only makes life easier. Well, in some ways." He looked up from studying his ring, searching her eyes.

"Well, I've just been thinking about what I should do with them, so I can help…"

"That will come with time, don't worry! First you should learn to control your powers, you wouldn't want to be in the middle of helping someone, and then have your control over them go out of whack and you end up hurting more than helping."

"I guess your right, I'll have to wait on the helping I guess." She heaved a deep sigh, and went back to frowning at her converse.

"Well, if it helps, I'll be around to distract you from the boredom of not trying helping people."

"Uh, really? Thanks! You could help me plan strategies for better canal and road systems… or develop a better way to grow grass in yards, instead of using that nasty fake grass those awful scientists developed…" she shuddered at the thought of this world having happen to it what happened to the last world.

"Well, that's not what I had in mind, but if that's what you call fun then…" he shrugged, his thin shoulders poking out in the process.

"Then what were you thinking?" she asked, genuine curiosity taking root. He blinked; he'd never met anyone this clueless.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" she narrowed her eyes, she wasn't dim enough not to know when she'd been insulted.

"Look, I'm not the brightest person in the world when it comes to people, but I'm smart enough to know when I'm not taken seriously. If you can't see that I'm someone that absolutely _loathes _it when people don't take me seriously, because of my hair, or the way I act, I swear to god you and I are going to have issues." She crossed her arms and jumped off the washer, stalking to the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry, I'm not that experienced in this category. You know, since I have lived in an all boys boarding school since I was nine."

"You've been living with only boys since you were nine? Why would you want to do that?" Manda turned around with a look that said 'are you stupid?'

"I didn't want to, my stepmother forced me to after my father passed away." He jumped off the dryer, and walked to where Manda was still standing in angry posture.

"Ok, and what category would you be talking about?"

"Huh? Did I say that?"

"Yes, you kinda did." She furrowed her brow in confusion for about the fortieth time that day.

"Really? 'Cause I don't remember…"

"Fine, be that way." Manda pushed past him and went back to the washer.

"Wait!" she spun back around, narrowing her eyes. "I told you where I came from…" she just raised her eyes in expectation. "You could tell me a little about yourself?"

Her eyes clouded over as painful memories filled her vision. She shook her head to clear away the unwanted tears. "That is not usually something I talk about with strangers… But I think you would understand…" Manda looked down at her scuffed up shoes, then looked back up into Adam's eyes. "After my parents disappeared, I was devastated, so when I showed up on my grandparents' best friends' doorstep; the shell of the girl I used to be… I don't know. Ben and Holly, the couple? After about a month, they threw me out onto the street, fed up with my crying every night, and the way I reacted to everything…" Manda shook her head, looking back down at her shoes, tears falling onto the worn fabric of her dark wash jeans.

"Hey, it's alright. I promise you that no one here will do that." Adam said, climbing up beside her on the still humming washer, and gave her a reassuring hug.

"How would you know that?" she said, her mascara starting to run. Adam reached up and wiped away her tears and mascara residue.

"Because we were practically _created_ to work together and become a family. Plus, I'm pretty sure that if anyone tried, Lena and Tara would beat someone up while Naomi and Kiki stood off to the side taunting them and beating them up emotionally." Manda started to laugh, but not for long, her saddened expression came back.

"Look, if it's any consolation, I would _never _throw you out because you were going through a rough time… if anything, I would make you feel better."

"Oh yah? How?" Manda asked hopefully.

"Here, let me show you…" he moved his hand moved back to her face, caressing her cheek, and leaned forward slowly, closing his eyes in perfect time with Manda.

Their lips met, and Manda couldn't breath, kissing Adam was like finally finding that one thing you'd been craving for your whole life, like finally getting that one thing perfectly right after so many mess-ups.

When he pulled away, Manda bit her lip, keeping her eyes closed. "Wow, you sure know how to make one girl forget her problems."

Adam chuckled, and jumped down from the washer, heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Manda.

"To let Lilly know that her load of laundry is done."

"What?" she looked down, at the washer, it was still humming, which meant that the clothes were still being washed. But then it quit suddenly, making a rather loud _AAAER!!_ noise. Which, in turn, scared Manda so much that she screamed and fell onto the floor.

"How'd you—?" Manda cut off as Adam helped her to her feet.

"I've lived in dorms for more than half of my life, which means that I've had to do my own laundry for half of my life. So, after a while, I guess I just developed a sense for how long a cycle is, and when it's going to end… Or it just could be the timer on the top there." He pointed to a small touch screen filled with buttons for different wash cycles, and a little box with a countdown timer on it, which was currently blinking the word 'finished'.

"Oh, well, you could have warned me!" Manda said in a huff.

* * *

**(following Tara)**

After being forced to sit through a boring history lesson, Tara was kinda irritable.

So when she was shoved into the smallish library with Brendan, the body builder looking guy that was probably six feet tall, maybe more.

She whirled on him, "Look, I don't like strangers, and you are a stranger, so if you stay over there, and I stay over here, we wont have a problem."

With that, she sat down in a wooden chair, picked up a book from the table beside her, and completely ignored Brendan for about two boredom filled hours.

* * *

**I know, I know! Tara is a jerk, but we will learn why in a while. Plus, I think that Manda might be a little finicky, but she's not that bright outside of the classroom…**

**I don't know. Let me know of any mistakes/confusing parts!!**


	7. The Actual Practicing Part

**Ok, so I have absolutely no idea how this chapter is going to go. I don't know what I want to happen, and I'm thinking it might move a little quickly because I want to go ahead and get to when they leave for Solaris… I don't know; just give me feed back over how it is.**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**The Actual Practicing Part**

**(Rafi's POV)**

Once Naomi had finally forced us into the kitchen, which seemed to have become our meeting place as a 'family,' I sat down on top of the counters, Lena jumping up next to me, a worried expression on her face.

I nudged her, and gave a questioning look; she just shrugged and waved me away.

"Alright, now that you have started to get to know one another, some more than others," Gregory looked pointedly at Adam and Manda, who, I noticed, were holding hands, "We are going to begin the actual practicing part. You all know the history and importance of the Guardians. So from now, until you leave for Solaris, Lilly and I are going to be training you. You each will learn every form of Guardian Arts and defense out there, each of you will learn different formations of flying and what to do in different weather situations."

"All of you will also learn how to—" Lilly began, but Kiki suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, we've only been studying for about a week, and now we're just switching over to learning how to fight and fly?"

"Yes, now, if you don't mind, I need to finish before we send all of you off to bed. I will be waking you up at six in the morning to start conditioning. Now—"

"Wait, _conditioning_? What might that include?" Lena asked. Lilly took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, visibly annoyed at all the interruptions.

"You'll find out in the morning. Now, the most important thing you will learn to do is broaden you mind and to _listen_ to your surroundings." Lilly said, a mysterious smile coming to her lips. "Now that, I will explain when we come to that lesson." She said quickly as Adam opened his mouth to interrupt.

"Now. Off to bed!" shouted Gregory, and we all scrambled out of our seats and ran up the stairs, trying to be the first to one of the two shared bathrooms.

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

I woke up with a bad taste in my mouth, wondering why I was even awake at this hour in the morning, it was still dark outside, and I could still see a couple of stars.

That's when I remembered the conditioning we were going to have to do today, which is why my body probably woke me up so early, it was an unconscious reaction to what Lilly had said. I groaned and went to wake up Naomi, who just punched m in the arm and rolled over, all while asleep. So I just went to get dressed, grabbing my clothes and walking silently to the bathroom down the hall.

As I shut the bathroom door, a hand shot through and kept it from closing, I started to scream, but the hand covered my mouth, and then the body it was connected to came into view.

I moved his hand, "Rafi!" I hissed. "You scared me out of my freaking mind! What are you doing?" I was more annoyed that I hadn't felt his presence, not that he'd scared me.

"Well, I was lying awake, and then I felt you pass by, so I followed you." He gave me a look that said 'I'm innocent, forgive me?' I sighed and turned around.

"Well, let me get dressed first, and I also need to pee, so go use the other bathroom."

"Alright, see you downstairs." He turned to leave, but I stopped him.

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

"What time is it?"

He chuckled, "5:34." And he was gone.

I grumbled about how early it was and pulled down my mom's old sweats, then pulled off my dad's old tattered t-shirt, my comfort pajamas, it was what I wore when I felt that I might be forgetting them. I pulled on a white sports bra and black tank top, then a pair of workout shorts I wore when I ran away from a foster home. Then I brushed my long curly light brown hair into a ponytail, and wound an elastic hair tie around it to keep it in place.

As I brushed my teeth, I thought about last night, wondering why it felt so right to have Rafi sitting next to me, how easy it was to trust and talk to him. I shook my head and spit, clearing my thoughts more as I gurgled and spit again.

"You sure take a long time," so consumed in my thoughts, I didn't feel it again when Rafi came into the room.

"Well, the prospect of being downstairs alone with you might be a reason for that," I said harshly, and smiled.

"Ouch, my poor self esteem!" he clutched at his chest and I pushed him into the hallway.

"Race you!" I ran down the hallway, then the stairs, laughing and being loud as he tried to push past and cheat by tickling me.

"What is going on?" said an obviously just woken up Gregory as we barged into the kitchen.

"Rafi and I decided it would be more fun to race."

"Well, save your energy, you'll need it."

"Huh?" said Rafi, confusion covering his features. I started to giggle as I realized his dark chestnut hair was still in the disarray it was in from being slept on.

They both looked at me like I was crazy, and then went back to talking. "Lilly is taking you all for a conditioning run."

"Right, try and get Brendan out of bed."

"I guarantee he will be, because he already is." Lilly said, walking in triumphantly, eight teenagers, extremely sleepy and disheveled, wearing workout gear, following her.

"Why are we doing this again?" asked Naomi yawning behind her hand.

"Because the forms of martial arts that make up the dances that you all have to use for the more advanced moves of your elements are extremely hard, and can best even the most skilled people. So to make up for it, we have to whip you into shape before we even begin to try and teach them to you." Lilly said as she stretched various muscles. "Now lets go!" She jogged out the door and waited outside for us to follow.

I smiled as we hit the edge of the forest, knowing that in the darkness, even Lilly wouldn't be able to navigate. I was wrong, she just ran straight in and found a well-worn trail that snaked through the forest like it had been there since the beginning of time. My smile faded, along with any energy I'd had when I woke up this morning.

"Ugh! This is so stupid!" exclaimed someone from behind me, I'm pretty sure it was Brendan, but didn't want to look back to see.

Rafi suddenly showed up beside me, keeping stride and matching my every step. I was surprised, because I am probably the only one in shape here, having run away from so many foster homes in the past six years that my body never protested at straining.

He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes, "So… How… Are… You… Not… Tired?" he had to pause between each word, obviously not used to running this fast or far.

"It's not that I'm… Not tired, I'm just… More used to the strain on… My body." I paused about every four or five words, watching his expression, which never changed from the exhausted, 'I'm about to die' look.

I started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, so when I accidentally forgot to jump over a rock in the middle of my path, I kind of fell flat on my face, scraping my hands, and bruising my knees. I burst out into hysterics then, having to hold my sides, and wipe the tears and sweat from my eyes.

"Omygawd!" I heard Naomi scream, as she tripped over _me._ Her sister shouting out in surprise as she then tripped over Naomi, in fact, there were many grunts, screams, 'Oh my's and 'What the heck's to make me laugh harder even still. I had about eight people piled on top of me, but I couldn't stop laughing.

"You guys look so funny! All of you should have seen your faces, they were hilarious!" Rafi said, starting to laugh.

I got out from under everyone, and pulled all of them up to their feet too. "Well, if our faces were so funny, why don't we get a look at yours?" I asked.

"What?" he said, confusion covering his features.

"Dog Pile!" I shouted, running at him like a maniac, eight other people piling on behind me. All of us were laughing like mad men, and Rafi's face was the funniest thing I've ever seen in a really long time.

* * *

"What in the God's name are you doing?! I ran for about three minutes, only to look back and find out that none of you all not there?!" Lilly shouted from somewhere where she couldn't smell the stink of nine other sweating people, eight of whom were crushing my liver and spleen so much I thought that they were about to be shoved out of my throat.

All of the weight slowly lifted off of my poor internal organs, and I could finally breath correctly again.

"Sorry Lilly, I tripped, and they all fell—"

"Ah! No! No excuses, I don't care if your feet suddenly fell off and flew away! Get going! We are going to run for another half hour. When, if you had been behind me three minutes ago, you could have all gone home and gotten showers, and rested until our run tonight." She turned around, and we all groaned as we ran after her.

* * *

**(Rafi's POV)**

"I still can't believe she made us run sprints for the last thirty minutes! I'm so glad I finally got all the sweat off my skin!" said Naomi; coming out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. It has been about a week since we had started to train, and all of us had lost any baby fat that was left on our bodies, and our muscles were becoming more toned.

"Yah, well, if you had left any of us hot water, we might know what it felt like to get al that sweat off our skin." Said Tara scowling as she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Well sorry for trying to get clean!" Naomi shouted angrily at the closed door.

I kept walking down the hallway, pulling Lena out of her place in line. "Hey! I'm going to be the last one to shower now!" she hissed, menace in her tone. She ripped her arm out of my grasp

"I'll let you in on a little secret," I paused, and she leaned in. "Guys take about two minutes to shower, and our bathroom is just as clean as yours." I walked away, as her face went from one of rage, to one of joy.

I walked into the kitchen, and opened the pantry, rotating the very large standup shelf thing, looking for something good to eat. I heard giggling behind me, and turned back around. Noticing that Manda and Adam were sitting on the counters, laughing, and holding hands, Adam had obviously just been whispering in Manda's ear, and he was probably being romantic or some other mushy gushy thing. I turned back around, disgusted, and picked up a dried apple. Walking over to the sink, I said, "You two might want to go somewhere more private for that kind of stuff." I turned on the sink and added water to the dried fruit, watching it come back to life, its skin going from brown to bright red.

I heard more giggling as they left, and sighed as I was finally left in peace. I looked out the window, facing the sloping hills that looked to be emerald with the afternoon sun shining down right on top of them.

Finishing the last bite of my apple, I walked to the sliding glass door, feeling for the almost invisible clear handle. As I climbed the hill, I felt someone running up behind me, and suddenly I had a bunch of extra weight on my back.

I heard a melodic laugh and then an all too familiar voice said, "They've forced me to come spend time with you again, they said that we are to do it three times a week, every week, until we leave."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm building my muscles more, because you're not the lightest person in the world." I said jokingly.

"Hey!" she smacked the back of my head.

I sat down in the grass, Lena still on my back, and turned around. She was now sitting in my lap, her arms still around my neck.

"Thank you for the tip. I got out of the shower, and Kiki was just getting in. I was behind her!" I wasn't surprised.

"Your welcome. Do you know what color your eyes are?" I asked suddenly.

"Of course, they're purple. Just like my moms." She furrowed her brow, obviously wondering why I'd asked that.

"They aren't just purple, near your pupil, they are almost black, but then the color fades as it gets closer to the white part, and every now and then, there's a sudden burst of cerulean." I was mystified—her eyes were amazing.

"Your eyes aren't too bad looking either. Did you now that they're the most amazingly golden eyes I've ever seen? The only golden eyes I've ever seen?" she said, not taking her eyes away from mine for a second. Something she's never done before. Usually she can't keep her eyes on mine, too nervous to actually look deep within my mind, afraid of what she might find.

"I get that a lot." I said, giving her a crooked smile. Her eyes became clouded with confusion, then fear. She immediately got up and brushed herself off, turning towards the large tree down the other side of the hill.

"Come on!" she shouted, "Let's climb!"

_Wow, she's very playful today. _I thought to myself.

The Yolonon and Chamaran swung wildly around our necks as we ran down the hill. Lena nearly fell three times, and when we finally reached the tree, she immediately launched herself off of the ground, jumping way too high for any normal person, and landing on a sturdy branch about halfway up, nearly falling when one of her feet slipped.

I could tell from where I was twenty feet below her that her eyes were now the size of plates, and her mouth had almost dropped to the ground.

"Did you see—AAAH!" she screamed, because as she had tried to jump up and down in excitement, she fell, luckily she didn't hit any branches…

Without thinking, or even really realizing what had happened until it did, I sprinted at a speed that could best even the quickest cars, and leaped into the air catching Lena neatly in my arms, and landing with a loud thump back on the ground.

"How did we—?" we both started to say at the same time. But, just as we did, there was the sound of clapping.

"Well done. My team and I didn't figure out that we had inhuman muscles until about a month after we got to Solaris." Gregory said, coming out from the shadow of the tall tree.

"We have what?" I asked, Lena struggled out of my arms, and glared at me for some reason after she had gotten herself straightened out.

"Come with me, I think you all are ready for your first Guardian Arts lesson." He simply said.

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

It felt like I had been falling for hours, when in reality, I had been falling for seconds. My screaming stopped as something solid made contact with my side, knocking the breath out of me. I heard a thud as whatever I'd hit landed.

I looked to the side, not expecting to see Rafi's built chest. I looked up at him, wondering how he'd saved me. I thought that my klutziness had finally bested me.

"How did we—?" we said at the same time, but then a pair of hands clapping stopped us from going on.

"Well done." A voice said from the shadows, it was Gregory. "My team didn't figure out that we had inhuman muscles until about a month after we got to Solaris."

"We have what?" asked Rafi. Looking up at him, I suddenly realized how—how _right _it felt to have him holding me, to have him save me. I frowned, _that's the second time I've thought something like that today. I need to stop._ I struggled out of his arms, and straightened my shirt, then flattened my pants back to the normal position. I turned back to Rafi, and glared at him. _How could one person have such an effect on me?_

"Come with me, I think you all are ready for your first Guardian Arts lesson." I followed Gregory back up the hill, Rafi following behind.

He came up next to me, and bent down to whisper something in my ear, I cringed away and jogged up ahead of Gregory, trying to figure out my feelings for Rafi.

**I think it went way way WAY better than I thought it would. Just so yall know, the villain will be introduced near the middle of the story. So don't just read through like the first few chapters and think "wow, a fairytale with no villain, how stupid!" he will be revealed soon!!**

**Thanks sooooooo much!**

**Luv ya!**

**Queen of the Fairytales**


	8. Training, Leopards, and Problems

* * *

**Ch. 8:**

**Training, Leopards, and Problems**

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

"So, where did you come from back there?" I asked, dropping back a little to talk to Gregory.

"I usually walk over there, and sit against the tree to think."

"What is there to think about?" I asked.

He looked at me, "Nothing of consequence."

"Fine, don't tell me. Why are they called 'dancers,' when they don't actually dance to use their powers?" I asked, the question suddenly springing to my mind.

"I don't know. I think it's because, when you see them in action, well, actually all of you in action. It looks like an intricate dance, something so complex that the only way you'd be able to get it was if you practiced every single second of your life."

We reached the house then, and Gregory went inside, leaving me in the vast backyard with Rafi.

"Well, I sure didn't expect to get _more _powers, did you?"

I turned around, facing him and crossing my arms. "No."

"What is wrong with you? You were all nicey-nicey, and now you act like you hate me!"

"I don't hate you, I'm just moody today, I guess." I shrugged.

"I liked the other side of you better," he muttered, obviously thinking I couldn't hear him.

"What was that?" I asked.

"What?"

"What did you just grumble to yourself?"

"Nothing, just forget it."

I walked up to him, poking his chest—which was about at eyelevel for me—and started to yell at him.

"You think I _want _to be here? You think I _want _to feel this way? Do you think I really _want _to be an orphan? You have no idea what I've gone through the past six years! So, for your information, I like the other side of myself also, because when I feel like that, I've momentarily forgotten all of the shitty stuff I've gone through!"

His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open in shock. He looked like he was about to say something, but just opened and shut his mouth stupidly.

"That's what I thought." I walked away and sat down against the side of the house, putting my head in my hands, and resting my elbows on my knees.

About two minutes later, Gregory, Lilly, Manda, Kiki, Naomi, Tara, Adam, Brendan, Landan, and Kelvin all came out of the sliding glass door.

"…Fine, if you all don't believe us, just watch them!" shouted Lilly, obviously ending an argument.

"Watch us what?" asked Rafi.

"Use your 'super human abilities' again." Said Kelvin, putting air quotes around super human abilities.

"I don't know how we did it, it just happened." I said, standing up and moving next to Rafi, giving him a 'can you forgive my insaneness?' look. He nodded slightly and bent down to whisper in my ear.

"Just remember how it felt." I looked at him and sighed, frustrated.

"Fine, I don't even know if this will work, but watch." I turned around and faced the house again. Looking at the flat part of the roof, about forty or so feet above me, I crouched down, testing my muscles. Getting the same feeling of an immense power build-up in my thigh muscles, I jumped, letting all of that built-up power out.

* * *

**(Rafi's POV)**

Lena over-did it, she cleared the house, and in a moment of panic, I sprinted around the house, caught Lena in my arms before she hit the ground, and was back with the others within twenty seconds.

"Alright, I believe you now, do you guys?" asked Adam, a squeak in his voice. Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

"Great, now that we are all on the same page, I think it's time for you all to change into your guardian forms." Gregory said.

I looked at Lena, who was still in my arms with yet another confused and defiant look on her face. Setting her on her feet, I suddenly realized how short Lena was.

"What?" she scowled at me, as I started to laugh.

"You—are—so—short!" I choked out between chortles.

"Don't remind me!" she shouted as she stalked away, to be in the middle of the girls' Guardian circle.

"_Mutatio!" _Lena and I shouted at the same time, surprisingly enough, it was only our second time since becoming the Guardians that we had actually _been_ the Guardians. The fiery pain in my shoulders wasn't as intense, but it was still enough to make tears form in my eyes.

"That wasn't so bad," I said, panting through the fading pain.

"I still can't believe these outfits!" I heard a girlish scream. "They're just so _stylish_!" the voice came again, and I realized it was Naomi.

I turned, and actually noticed the outfits for the first time. Being a guy, I don't really notice these things. The girls' outfits consisted of tight, form fitting materials; the shirts were short—revealing their bellybuttons, with sleeves that reached their elbows, and a neckline like a T-shirt; the skirts reached mid-thigh, with slits on the side for easy movement; and the shoes looked like death traps, and for Lena they might be. All of their outfits were different colors: Lena's was black, Tara's was red, Kiki's was white, Naomi's was blue, and Manda's was green. I could tell that all of them except Tara and Naomi were uncomfortable wearing them.

The guys' outfits were different, much different. Our shorts were loose, and reached our knees, our shirts looked like regular t-shirts, and our shoes were regular Nikes.

"Yes, well, the stones are smart enough to know what goes in and out of style." Lilly said, setting up some things that looked like a cross between a scarecrow and a robot.

Gregory and Lilly then went through and moved us around; I was suddenly next to Lena, Tara next to Brendan, Naomi next to Kelvin, Kiki next to Landan, and Manda, naturally, next to Adam.

"Now, I want all of you to close your eyes, and breathe in time with what I say."

I watched everyone shut their eyes, and closed mine too.

"In," Gregory commanded.

"Out," he said, I could feel my body relax, and the presences around my friends seemed to get sharper as their senses and mine were heightened in our relaxation. I felt that I could almost recall certain thoughts from them, like I used to be able to, but ever since our transformation; it was like they had a wall up.

We kept breathing in time with Gregory until I could swear I could hear the trees breathing with us too.

"Now," he said, ever so quietly from somewhere behind me, "I want you all to move into a balanced and defensive position. Make sure it's comfortable, and let your body stay relaxed." I felt my arms and legs move as of their own accord, I was crouching and holding my hands in front of my face, my muscles tense and ready, but also relaxed in a strange way.

I finally opened my eyes, and everyone was in the same position as I was. Nervous laughter filled the air as the others opened their eyes. Lilly went around with a thick, painful-looking, stick and tried to push each of us over with no success.

Suddenly, she swung at me with it, and I surprised myself when my hands moved at lightning quick speed and ripped the thing out of her grasp.

"Nicely done, when my mentor tried that on me the first time, I had a large bruise on my shoulder for weeks." There was genuine admiration in her voice, and Lena scowled at me from her crouched position next to me.

I handed the weapon back, and Lilly walked to the front of us.

"Now, I want you all to listen carefully, because I'm only going to say this once."

She studied us, "_Do I need to separate you two!"_ she shouted at Manda and Adam, who were giggling and tickling each other. They immediately stopped and looked sheepish, getting back into position.

"Now, I am going to tell you something that helps greatly in knowing how to use and make-up moves that let you control your element or elements."

"Wait, _elements_? Who here can control more than one element?" asked Kiki, she had started to come out of her shell lately, and was acting more and more like her sister everyday.

"Well, you see—" started Lilly.

"We can," Lena said, turning around, and gesturing towards me.

I winced, as all hell broke loose.

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

"We can," I said, turning around to face my peers.

"What!"

"_Nawt _fair!"

"I can't believe you knew about this and didn't tell us!"

Were just a few of the shouted responses, and all eight of them swarmed Rafi and I, most angry, but some were just disappointed.

"Get back in formation! Now! We cannot waste daylight!" shouted Gregory, they quickly moved, afraid of the punishment if they didn't obey orders.

I stood up and brushed myself off, wincing at my bruised arm where Tara had literally punched me out of jealousy.

Rafi hadn't faired much better, but he didn't have a bruised arm.

"Now that that is finally over and done with… Can I go on?" there were various head nods, and a few mumbled 'Yeah's as Lilly glared at us.

"Thank you." She harshly stared at us each in turn, angry with all of the interruptions. "As I have kept trying to tell you for the past… five minutes, is that each of the elements has a different form of Guardian arts. You!" she shouted at Naomi and Kelvin who had gotten into an argument. They quickly quit fighting and walked up to Lilly hurriedly.

"Follow my lead, and move like this." She crouched low, like we had, and moved fluidly, like she was actually under water. Her arms went behind her, and she swept them over her head in a fast, but calm motion. Kelvin and Naomi tried to follow her example but became frustrated when nothing happened.

"You have to feel the water, there should be a pull from somewhere in you, one that can sense water anywhere. Close your eyes, concentrate, and do it again." This time, when Kelvin and Naomi's hands came to a stop in front of their faces, water, pulled from the air, was held in them. When they opened their eyes, with surprised expressions, their concentration wavered and the water fell to the ground.

"Now, go to the stream," she nodded in the direction of where she meant, "and do the same move, but standing _in _the water. You should get different results. I will be by to check on you in ten minutes."

"Now, you two." She nodded to Tara and Brendan. As the got to the front, Lilly lowered back down into the defensive stance.

"One question." Tara said, "If we are supposed to save the world or whatever, why do we start in a stupid _defensive _position?" her tone was quite rude, but Lilly didn't seem to notice.

"Because you never attack first."

"Right. Well, what if I want revenge or something like that?"

"Then that's too bad, because the Chamaran and Yolonon wont let you attack first. Now, follow my lead."

Lilly then moved her feet, stomping around, and jerking her arms and hands around her head in a whirlwind.

Tara and Brendan tried, taking the advice she had given to Naomi and Kelvin, the closed their eyes, concentrated, and copied Lilly's movements.

I had to duck as two cyclones of fire came spinning towards me.

"Hey!" shouted Rafi, as he threw himself onto the ground trying not to be burnt.

"Sorry, it's the only move I can remember! I never really like working with fire. Too dangerous." She shook her head, as if remembering the bad feeling she got from working with fire. "Well, go and find a clear, grass free spot somewhere, make sure not to burn anything!" she said as they walked away.

"Okay, now for the Earth dancers."

Giggling, the cute couple walked forward.

Without even telling them to follow her example or give them advice, Lilly went back down. Moving slowly and with a lot of power behind her movements, Lilly stomped, and shoved her hand forward through the air, only two fingers up.

Following her, Manda and Adam opened their eyes to a large boulder that had suddenly come out of the ground, looking at each other, they thrust their hands out in the final movement, and the boulder went flying towards the forest, landing somewhere with a loud _Thump! _Many birds flew from their perches squawking in protest.

"Alright, now for the Air Dancers." Kiki and Landan sidled up to the front, now with only Rafi and I as an audience.

This time, Lilly didn't say anything as she started the quick movements of the 'dance'. Moving swiftly and smoothly, Lilly started to swirl her hands together, creating a space between her hands, then, she swung her arms in a graceful movement to the right side of her body, and finished with her hands thrust forward, releasing their hold on whatever was supposed to be there.

Closing their eyes, and copying her movements to the slight movement of Lilly's leg muscles, Kiki and Landan did just as they were told, creating a swirling ball of wind, and thrusting it straight for me and Rafi. It then flattened out and looked like a round saw. Without blinking, I stepped up to it and waved my arms in a fashion I didn't think possible. A ball of fire met the wind-saw halfway and they both were extinguished on contact.

"How—how did I know what to do?" I squeaked in alarm, my eyes widening.

"All of you know the moves, it's getting you to remember them that's the problem."

"Remember?" asked Landan.

"Yes, when you first become the Guardians, and take on the powers, it takes longer for you to change because instead of just growing wings and unlocking the power, the Stones give you information.

"Okay, so does she remember now or something?" asked Rafi, jerking his thumb in my direction.

"I believe so. You two go and practice on the hill. Don't hurt anything!" Lilly shouted as Kiki and Landan hurriedly scurried off. "Lena I want you to create a whirlwind, and send it in a circle around you twice, then release the winds and let them go wherever."

I nodded, closed my eyes, concentrated, and let my body do what it wanted. Moving smoothly, I danced around on the lawn in a circle, sweeping my arms over my head repeatedly, and feeling a tug of power from somewhere in my stomach, I opened my eyes and yelped in surprise.

A towering tornado stood before me, swirling and twirling in chaos, somehow, I got it to listen to me, and moving my feet and arms in a circle, it moved under my will and swirled in a circle around Rafi, Lilly, and I twice. Finally, with shaking hands, I clenched my fist and then opened it slowly, watching carefully as the tornado went down in size, the winds I had stolen from somewhere returning to their previous haunts.

Rafi emitted a low whistle, "Wow, do you think I could do that?" he asked Lilly.

"I don't know, can you?" she asked back. She turned to me and raised her eyebrows, smiling; I got the hint and did a rushed movement with my fingers. Sharp icicles flew at Rafi's face. With a surprised yell, he flung his hands up, jerked them around and somehow fire flew out of his fingertips to meet the icicles and melt them.

Looking down at his hands in amazement, I turned to talk with Lilly. "Does the way you move reflect the way our element moves?" I asked.

Looking surprised she asked, "You noticed that? Wow, it took me at least a week of practicing to notice. You all are the fastest learning group of Guardians since the first ten. Of course, it might just be me and my husband."

"Are you guys talking about me?" he asked coming up.

"Not really, where did you go?" asked Lilly smiling grandly and kissing his cheek as he swept her up in a romantic hug.

"I heard the phone ring, and guess what?" Gregory asked excitedly, without waiting for a reply he continued, "Hannah and Lyle are pregnant!"

"Really?! Wow! They were having the roughest time with that!"

I guess my face gave way to my confusion, because then Lilly said, "They were the Air Dancers out of our group. Lets see… Tyler and Veronica, the Water Dancers, already have two-year-old twins… Ben and Carly, Earth Dancers, just adopted a little girl… and I think Zander and Caitlin's kids are one and two, they were the Fire Dancers."

"Did everyone in your group fall in love?" asked Rafi from behind me.

"Well, yes! It's—" Gregory stopped as Lilly elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a pointed look.

"I think you should go check on everyone, and tell them to come into the house for dinner." Looking up, I noticed that the sun was nearly at the point of setting.

Walking towards the house, Lilly looked over her shoulder, smiled, then muttered something I don't think I was supposed to hear, "They always go first, it'll be these two who come last…" shaking her head, she walked inside, so deep in thought that she slammed the door in my face.

"Yow, that must've hurt." Said Rafi.

"Not really, I wasn't that close…" I trailed off as I turned and spotted what Lilly was talking about, sitting at the bottom of the hill, Adam and Manda were kissing. Gregory was walking away with the same expression Lilly had had on when she went into the house. "You know what?" I said, "They didn't think about us getting out of our Guardian forms, I'm tired of these wings. I keep seeing them out of the corners of my eyes, and since I've forgotten what they are, I swat at them."

Laughing, Rafi agreed, "Plus, I don't think we're going to fit through the doorway. But, how about we fly for a bit? I haven't gotten a chance to today."

Nodding, I shouted, "Let's fly!" and laughing we launched into the air, soon followed by our friends.

* * *

**(Rafi's POV)**

Lena walked into the guys' and my room, towel drying her hair, she was wearing comfy shorts and a tank top. "There you are! I wanted to thank you again for the tip on using your bathroom; I'm in and out before the line to ours moves even moves up three people! And that's waiting for you guy's to get finished!"

"Don't mention it, but you know that there are at least four working bathrooms with showers in them in this house? I don't know why we only use the two."

"Because, I don't want Lilly having to clean all of them." She was studying the bulletin board hanging over Brendan's bed, and then looking up she noticed that all of our beds had bulletin boards over them. "Hey! That's not fair! We don't have these!"

I shrugged, "But you guys each have a closet."

"Right. Hey, why does Brendan have Tara's birthday circled?" she asked, pointing to a day two weeks from now.

"What do you mean? That's _his _birthday." Going to each calendar, she told me that all of us have the same birthdays. "I would know, because Naomi, Kiki, Manda, Tara, and I all were born in the same week."

"Wait, how do Naomi and Kiki have different birthdays?" I asked.

"Well, Naomi was born at 11:55 on the fifth of August, and Kiki 12:02 on the sixth." She said it as if it were obvious.

"Ah."

"Yeah, and you know, me and you have the same birthday."

"Cool. Wait, I thought that yall were all sixteen! You said that your parents all left you when you were ten, and that it's been six years!"

"That's what we say, because it's easier than saying they've been gone for five and three quarters years." Her tone was one of pain.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry for bringing that up… I was just a little confused." She sniffed and turned away.

"It's alright, you'd think after almost six years that I would be able to talk about this."

"And you'd think that after a whole life of not having parents, it wouldn't hurt to see other kids with theirs, but it still does." I walked up to her and smoothed her curling hair, she jumped at my touch, and started to walk out the door.

"Well, thanks again, about the shower tip." Then she disappeared.

The rest of the guys walked in, raising their eyebrows at me. "Nothing happened! I don't even _like _her in that way." Their eyebrows just went up further.

Adam said, "Hey, we didn't say anything man."

"Coming from the guy that makes out with girls he's just met!" countered Kelvin, coming to my rescue.

"Hey! From the hill I was forced to practice on, I saw you and that Naomi girl get a little _too_ familiar!" said Landan.

Kelvin snorted, "Look, dude, it's not _my_ fault that your girl doesn't like you."

"At least yours _talks_ to you! Tara won't even _look _at me without scowling."

They all turned on me; I raised my hands to show I was neutral. "Hey, Lena and I are just friends, we don't have any problems. And I don't think that they would like it if they heard you guys calling them _yours._ Their not possessions, their women."

Various snorts filled the room, "More like monsters no one can figure out!" Brendan said, plopping himself onto his bed.

This reminded me of Lena's discovery, "Did you guys know that we all share the same birthday as our partners?" I asked.

"Well, Manda and I figured that out about three days ago." Adam said, "But I didn't know you all were the same."

"And how are the twins with different birth dates?" asked Landan.

"One was born before midnight, and the other after."

"Right, well… this is a little weird." Adam said, also plopping onto his bed.

Suddenly I heard Gregory shout from downstairs.

"Could you say that again?" I shouted back at him.

"Get your butts down here!"

"Hey, get up, they want us downstairs."

"For what?" asked Adam.

"Well, I didn't exactly ask, just get your asses up!" I walked downstairs, followed by some grumbling, lazy people.

"As you know, you will be leaving for Solaris in a month and a half, giving us time for you all to work more on your field skills. At this point in time, I am proud to say that all of you have bonded perfectly, if not too quickly—" Gregory stopped to glare at Adam and Manda, then at Naomi and Kelvin, which made me wonder what really happened at the stream this afternoon. "—And that from here on out, things will be much easier, at least on your minds," he stopped again to let everyone groan.

"Well, Honey, you forget about the other part to being a Guardian," he looked at her like she was crazy, "you know, the—" she pointed to her head, the tone of her voice hinting she was getting fed up with her husbands apparent stupidity.

"Oh! Wait how are we…" he trailed off as they walked to the end of the kitchen, away from us, and conversed amongst themselves.

"Don't go anywhere!" said Lilly sternly as Brendan got up to leave. He sheepishly sat back down, turning to Tara, no doubt to complain, but she just glared at him and turned away.

Kelvin came to sit next to me, and I got my chance to ask what had happened, "Hey, what happened this afternoon?"

"She, uh, finally caught me under her spell." He muttered. I guess I looked confused, because he went on to explain. "Ever since that first time we were supposed to get to know one another, she has been after me man, she doesn't give up! And today, I don't know what it was, maybe that skirt, or that top…" he trailed off, a sick smile coming to his face as he remembered Naomi in that outfit.

"Dude, get over it. You're into her—she's into you. Why fight it?"

"From the moment I've met her, I could tell she's gotten everything and everyone she's ever wanted. If she wants me, she's gotta fight."

Nodding my head like I understood this, he smirked and walked away. Naomi tried to call him over, batting her eyelashes, and twirling her hair, but he just waved and went to talk to Brendan who looked defeated.

"Looks like all of our friends are getting together." Commented a voice, without turning I knew it was Lena, her aura was one of guilty happiness, and it bothered me that she was feeling such a mix of emotions.

"What is there to feel guilty about?" I asked, her head snapped around.

"How do you know I'm feeling guilty?"

"You know those aura's around people?" she nodded, "Well, out of everyone's here, yours is the strongest, and right now, you are feeling happy and guilty."

Her face reddened, "I didn't realize you could read me so well." She said, avoiding the question.

"You are the only one I _can _read."

"Well, its not really any of your business… but, I'm feeling guilty, because I'm starting to feel truly happy, for the first time in I don't know how long, and my parents aren't here to share it with me."

"So you feel like you should be unhappy just because your parents left you?" I asked, perplexed.

"They didn't leave me!"

"Lena, from what you've told me, they did leave you. It's the only explanation for how they disappeared."

"Don't—Don't say that!" she said, her voice breaking. "Are you _trying_ to make me unhappy?"

Her aura now said that she was angry and crying, although she shed no tears. "No! I just—"

She ran outside, slamming the door behind her. I watched, with everyone else as she sprinted through the dark into the woods, not stopping.

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

_Why did he have to go and ruin it? Why? Why? Why? Does he not think that I've thought that before, that they left me? _These and many other thoughts of anger and anguish ran through my head as I sprinted through the night, without realizing where I was going, I veered onto the forest trail, jumping over rocks and fallen trees that I knew were their from all of our morning jogs.

"Lena!" I heard a shout. Knowing it was Rafi, I pushed myself harder, tapping into the super-human speed, I ended up at the end of the usual trail, turning around, I ran to the beginning of another, not bothering to wait, I now sprinted down this one, even though it was unfamiliar to me, I managed to avoid every rock, or other obstacle.

Finally breaking down, I found a large stump, sitting down, I let myself sob for the first time since I figured out my parents weren't coming home.

Hearing something crash through the underbrush, I thought it was Rafi. Standing up to face him and apologize for running away when he was just trying to help, I realized that it wasn't him.

Instead, what looked like a streak of rainbow color in the moonlight ran around me. Suddenly it sprang onto my clothes, which made me scream in fright. Whatever it was, stopped on my head, and looked down into my face.

Laughing I realized it was a little kitten. "Well, hello! Who are you?" I asked it, pulling it from my hair.

Looking at me in fascination, the kitten widened its lime-green eyes. "Where's your momma?" I asked, talking to the frightened little thing, she was shaking, and had scratched all over her.

I studied the cute little face, all of my depressing thoughts gone. She had pointed ears, with black tips; she was silver and covered with paw-print markings in black. I realized what made me think she was rainbow was that her shiny silver fur seemed to reflect light and shatter sparks of rainbow color everywhere. Black markings around her eyes made her look like a bandit and I laughed again. "What are you?" I asked, studying the little creature as she climbed up my arm and onto my shoulder.

"Lena?" I heard a worried voice.

"Rafi I'm over here!" I shouted.

"Are you alr—Lena, don't move. There is a Leopard cub on your shoulder."

"You idiot! Do you not think I know that?" I asked jokingly.

"Well, obviously not! If the mother is around, you will be dead!"

"I don't think this little cutie has a mother. I think she's like me, I think she was abandoned. She's scared to death!" I defended the cute little cub, and she was frightened. Her little body was shaking uncontrollably, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"How would you know that? And how did this Leopard cub get here anyway? They're not native to this continent!" for once, I think Rafi was actually weirded out.

"I don't know and I don't care, but I'm going to keep her!" the kitten mewed a thanks, and licked my ear with her rough tongue.

"Whatever, can we get back please? Lilly and Gregory are still trying to tell us something." The misunderstanding from earlier was totally forgotten with the arrival of the kitten.

When I looked around I realized I had no idea how I got here or where I was. "Uh, do you know how to get back?" I asked Rafi.

"Of course not! I just went blundering through the undergrowth to find you!" he shouted at me.

The kitten, or cub, whatever she is, was frightened even more by this new loud noise, and fell off of my shoulder. Landing on her feet she started to walk away.

"Hey! Get back here!" I said, running after her. Rafi ran after me, and somehow, by following the kitten, we'd gotten back to the house.

"How'd she?" I asked.

"I don't know, and how do you know it's a girl?"

"I can just tell. Now could you stop being so rude and loud? You're scaring Tricky!"

"Now you've _named _it! What is wrong with you? You can't keep a wild animal as a pet! You've got to let it go!"

"But she'll die!"

"Then give her to a zoo or something! I don't care but get her out of my sight!"

Again, a simple affair had led to Rafi and I arguing and yelling. Tricky sat between us, her head moving from me to Rafi as each of us shouted insults at each other. When the sliding door suddenly banged open, it frightened Tricky and she ran up to sit on my head again.

Pulling her gently off, I cuddled her and got her fur to lie flat again. Against my chest, I could feel her little heart thumping much too fast for its own good.

"What is that?" I heard a squeal of excitement from the doorway.

Light spilled out of the open doorway onto the lawn, creating an eerie glow. Naomi ran up excitedly to touch Tricky, who in turn, snapped at her hands and cuddled closer to me.

Pouting, Naomi backed off.

"Would you people please quit squealing?" I hissed, after four more squeals over Tricky came from the open doorway.

"What you just did doesn't really help either!" hissed Rafi, determined to win the fight.

"You know what Rafi? Just shut up." Tricky snapped at more unfamiliar hands as my friends reached for her. "Shh, shh, Tricky, it's okay! Their nice see?" I calmly whispered to her. For some reason, this little cub had taken a liking to me. It felt like this little cub thinks I'm her mother.

Slowly, the kitten calmed down enough to where I could take her inside. Sitting at the kitchen table, with Tricky in my lap, Lilly and Gregory restarted the meeting.

"Well, now that we have a new addition," Lilly said this like she had been expecting a new arrival to the family. "I would like you all to know that Gregory and I will be going away for the weekend to see some friends, and we are leaving you all here."

"And we expect you all to practice your skills, and continue to get to know one another. It is very, very important that you all know every single detail of each other's lives. Your likes, your dislikes, allergies, anything." He looked pointedly at Tara and Brendan.

"It's not _my_ fault she won't talk to me!" he shouted.

"All right, all right. Tara, this weekend, I expect you to talk to everyone, not just the girls."

As a reply, Tara just crossed her arms and growled, "Fine, but it's not going to be fun."

"Why are you leaving again?" asked Kiki. Lately, she hasn't been shy at all, I even heard her yell at Landan when he nearly knocked her head off with the wind-wheel thing today.

"We try to get together with our friends once a month, and this month, we are going to the coast, where Tyler and Veronica live." Gregory explained.

"Do you know what to feed a baby Leopard?" I asked, completely off topic. But Tricky had started to nose around my lap, sniffing and then she stood up on my chest and mewed at me.

"Milk?" Kelvin said.

"I know that when they grow up they eat raw meat," said Landan.

"We have some Goats milk in the refrigerator, and theirs a bottle in that cabinet over there, make sure you heat it, but not too much, test it on your wrist before giving it to her." Everyone stared at Lilly, and I'm pretty sure the same thought ran through everyone's heads, _it's like she knew this would happen._

"I know what your thinking, and yes. We did know that this would happen. Every group of Guardians gets two animals, usually wild. They help protect you while your still learning, and once you leave, they help you fight." Gregory explained.

"So this cub has, like powers?" I asked.

"No, but she is smarter than your average leopard."

"Did you know that we would get a leopard?" asked Manda.

"No, I myself found an eagle. And Gregory found a Falcon."

"So am I going to find a Lion or something?" asked Rafi.

"It could be anything. It was just a coincidence that they were both birds in our case. Now, if you are done asking questions, I suggest we all go to bed."

Yawning, everyone stood up and trudged up the stairs. Adam and Manda kissed goodnight as they parted, and I chuckled when Naomi tried to do the same with Kelvin but received a hug instead.

With a frown, Naomi slipped into the room before me.

"What is going on with you two?" I asked as we all got undressed.

"Yeah, you two were pretty friendly in the stream today." Tara said, her tough girl persona dropped.

"I don't know!" Naomi wailed. "He is the most confusing guy I've ever met! One minute, we're making out in the stream, and the next he acts like it never happened!" she sat down on her bed, her head in her hands.

"I heard Kelvin talking to Rafi before Lena here ran away," Manda said, "And he told Rafi that you were going to have to fight to get him. Said something about you getting everything you've ever wanted…" her brow furrowed in frustration as she struggled to remember what they said.

"Did Rafi say anything about me?" I asked hopefully, then shook my head as everyone turned to me with eyebrows raised, "We're just friends! Well, we fight a lot, so I guess it's more like fighting buddies or something."

Kiki sighed, "At least you know where you stand with him! I can't ever decide what me and Landan are."

Tara snorted, "You guys just can't see it can you?" she turned to Kiki, "Landan is just as confused, but he likes you." She turned to Naomi, "Kelvin likes you more than he'll admit to himself, and wants you to prove you like him back," when Naomi started to splutter that she did Tara added, "Just tell him how you feel you dope!" Turning to Manda she said, "You and Adam are the only ones who have this figured out."

"And what about you?" I asked, "Brendan is totally trying to get to know you, and you keep pushing him away! Why?"

"Because I'm not ready yet." She said simply.

"Ready for what?" asked Manda innocently.

"To fall in love with him."

"What?!" we all screamed at her.

"Did you guys ever pay attention in the history lessons? Did you not learn that every single pair of Dancers and Keepers fell in love with each other?"

"So that's what Lilly was talking about…" I shook my head lamely, and climbed underneath my sheets, Tricky curling up next to me.

"Well, I haven't told him yet, but I think I do love Adam." Manda said.

"Can we please just go to sleep? All this talk of love has got my head hurting!" said Kiki.

Tara shrugged and climbed in bed, being the only one still out of it.

"Lights off." I said, and fell asleep the minute the light sensors responded.

* * *

I woke up in the morning with a dry mouth, so the first thing I did was go brush my teeth.

"Do you not wait until _after _you eat any more?" asked Manda grumpily, I'd barged in one her while she was using the bathroom.

"I woke up with a bad taste in my mouth." I said.

"Well, I hope you slept well," she said as she shoved past me to get to the sink.

"Yes… Why do you ask?" I questioned, as I myself used the toilet.

"Because, you mumbled and groaned in your sleep all not long! Something about 'No! Don't hurt him!' and then you started to cry in your sleep."

"I had a nightmare, I'm sorry if I kept you up all night," I said as I washed my own hands.

"Well, next time could you try to be courteous and keep quiet?" she said yawning, as she walked out, I went to find Tricky, who I had left sleeping on my bed.

When I couldn't find her, I called for her, "Tricky! Tricky come here baby! Do you want breakfast?" Suddenly her head came into view at my window, which was open for some odd reason.

"How'd you get out there?" I asked her. She just disappeared again, so I climbed out onto the roof myself. I was surprised, because this side of the roof was more or less flat, and easy to walk on. Tricky was sitting a few feet away, having her head scratched by Rafi.

I sat down next to him, "This is a pretty view," I commented.

"Yup, I found out you could climb out here the first night, and come here every once in a while when I need to think."

"Mind if I think with you?" I asked.

"No, go right ahead."

We sat in silence for a while, and when the morning chill finally got to me, I shivered. Rafi tried to put his arm around me, I guess to keep me warm, but I flinched away.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, putting his arm back down.

"Do what?" I asked trying to avoid the question.

"Flinch away from all of us guys."

I hugged my knees to my chest, and petted Tricky, not looking at him as I said, "I had a bad experience with a man once."

"Just because one man is bad, doesn't mean that all of us are." He said.

I looked up at him, his golden eyes were so honest, and understanding. But I just couldn't bring myself to tell him the whole truth; I couldn't take away that innocents lying deep in his eyes. Not like that man had taken mine.

"You wouldn't understand if I told you," I said, getting up and taking Tricky with me.

"Whatever, you are a mystery to me, Lena." He shoved past me and jumped off of the edge of the roof, landing on his feet, and walking inside.

Shaking my head and trying to keep the tears from falling, I climbed back through the window.

* * *

**(Rafi's POV)**

I walked inside angrily; slamming the sliding glass door behind me with such force, it shook the glass panes.

"Whoa, dude, what's wrong?" asked Kelvin as I shoved past him and the rest of the guys.

"Women are a mystery," I growled as an answer.

"I agree totally." Brendan said sadly.

I sat down at the bar next to Brendan. And banged my head down onto the table.

"That bad?" asked Landan.

I raised my head up enough for him to get a glimpse of my expression.

"What happened?" asked Brendan

"She just doesn't want to trust me," I said into the countertop.

"At least she talks to you," Brendan said, assuming the same position as me.

"Well, if you all are going to mope around all morning, fine. But just so yall know, Lilly and Gregory left," Tara said as she used the sink in front of us to re-hydrate an orange.

"She speaks!" said Brendan shooting up like an arrow.

I looked up in time for Tara to give Brendan a dirty look, and then turned around, peeling her orange to go back to the girls across the room at the kitchen table.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have a feeling that today is going to be extraordinary," Adam commented before following his girlfriend outside.

As if on cue, Naomi came over and pulled Kelvin through the now open sliding glass door, and started to say something to him. I watched, amused, as his eyes widened, and then he smiled and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. They walked away, and both of them had a sickening, lovey-dovey grin on their face.

"Ugh! Would you people _please _stop _doing_ that?!" I shouted.

"What?" asked Kiki, whom I'd startled as she walked to the pantry.

"Getting all lovey-dovey on me!" I said, exasperated.

"You better get used to it," she said as she walked away, having gotten what she wanted from the pantry.

"What does _that _mean?" I asked, she didn't turn around, but a slow smile crept onto Landan's features.

"Come on now, not you guys too!" I hissed at him.

He clapped a hand onto my back, "Just this morning, actually. She's actually a _great _kisser. Don't worry, you'll get your chance soon enough."

I glared at him coldly, "Okay, One: not something I needed, or wanted, to know. Two: we're _just friends_. But at this point, I question even that! She won't even trust me with things in her past! How am I supposed to _fall _for her, as you all seem to think I will, if she doesn't even trust me!"

He simply shrugged and walked into the living room. Brendan soon followed after he figured out that I wasn't going to talk to him.

"Hey guys!" shouted Brendan suddenly, "Come check this out!"

Manda, Adam, Kelvin, and Naomi, all returning from their walk or whatever, also heard this. So as everyone pushed their way into the living room, we gasped. On what used to be a blank wall, now hung the biggest, and flattest T.V. that I've ever seen, equipped with the newest gaming system and games by Nintendo, and a DVD player with all of the newest movies.

"Here, it's a note, but Lilly's handwriting is too fancy for me to read." Brendan handed the note to Lena, who read it.

"Okay, it says: _Since we will be away for the weekend, I want you all to bond by playing these games and watching the movies. It should help break the ice. Sincerely, Lilly._ What does she mean by 'break the ice'? Are we supposed to tell stories? Give speeches?" she asked, confused.

"I think we are supposed to share anything with each other that we haven't told yet. Like share secrets?" asked Manda.

"I think I remember her saying something about that," Kelvin agreed.

"Well, whatever she wants us to do can wait until after we practice." I said. Everyone turned to stare at me. "What?"

"Practice? Why would we do that?" asked Naomi.

"Maybe because that's what they want us to do? Think about it, one day, all of us are going to have to save the world or whatever, and we aren't going to know what to do because we didn't practice." I explained.

"He's right, everyone outside. Now!" Lena said, taking command. Grumbling, everyone walked back through the kitchen and outside.

"I think I had it under control," I mumbled to her.

"Right, like them looking at you like you were completely insane was under control," she growled at me.

I scowled at her, and went to get in formation.

"Wait!" Lena said.

"What now?!" I asked.

"I want to try something, now that Lilly and Gregory aren't here."

"What?" I asked.

"Well, they said that we just _had _to be in this formation to change, but I don't think that's all true, I think we should be able to do it without getting into this formation." She said.

"Lena, I think your right," said Kiki. She smirked in triumph.

"All right, whatever," I said.

Everyone walked off, completely out of formation, and just stood around.

"_Mutatio!"_ Lena and I shouted together.

The change happened just like it always did, nothing happened that was out of the ordinary.

"See? Nothing strange happened." She said.

* * *

**I know, I know, I'm more than a little late… if you can't believe this I actually had this chapter longer. I've kinda been in Florida for the past, what? Week? Two weeks? Seems like forever. But, I hope you guys aren't mad! Please, please review! I need you guys' opinion on whether or not this chapter is too long or not. I think that this is my longest chapter I've ever, ever written. The next chapter might take even longer because I need to get it perfect… It's going to be a very… emotional chapter for me to write. And that's all I have to say so I don't give anything away!**

**Peace to ya!**

**Queen of the Fairytales**


	9. Past Troubles

**Ch. 9:**

**Past Troubles**

* * *

**(Rafi's POV)**

We practiced our moves, making up new ones, and somehow just knowing how to do others.During one of the practices, I had the great idea of all of us working together, which turned out to be a mess. Combining all of our powers together made whatever we did so powerful it would get out of our control every once in a while. Then Adam asked why we were only working on the hardest types of moves, and why Lilly and Gregory hadn't explained to us how to do the simple ones. Eventually, we gave up, changed back, and went inside to shower.

"Alright, so what movie are we watching first?" asked Manda, the last of us to get downstairs.

"Movie? What are you talking about? We're obviously going to play the gaming system first." Brendan said.

"What no! Movie!" said someone; I don't remember whom, because after that, a fight broke out.

"Movie!"

"Game!"

"Movie!"

"Game!"

It went on and on, I just sat back and watched, amused. Lena was also sitting back on the couch, watching everyone fight like she was at a tennis match.

"Well, I guess we should make them stop…" she mumbled. I barely heard her over Naomi, who was screaming her head off, although what she said was inaudible.

I chuckled, "I guess we should."

We stood up and separated everyone.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Quit trying to kill one another! What is wrong with you guys! Can't you be civilized for once? One minute your hanging all over one another, and the next your ready to kill each other!" Lena shouted, she was really, really, angry. What she said managed to make everyone, including me, feel sheepish and childish.

"Now, if everyone would be quiet," she said, glaring at us, "We are going to take a vote. Anyone for a movie, raise their hands." She craned her neck to count, including herself, and nearly everyone had voted for a movie because, frankly, she was scaring us. Somehow, she had taken charge, become somewhat of the leader, and wasn't the nicest, or most patient person to take on that position.

"Right, now which one shall we watch?" she asked.

"How 'bout a suspense film?" I asked, everyone nodded their agreement, their eyes still wide from Lena's abruptness.

"Fine," she went to the movie rack, picked a random one from the suspense rack (Lilly likes to keep things over organized) and popped it into the DVD player.

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

The movie was okay, I guess. I wouldn't know, because the whole time I was thinking about how I was going to have to tell these people what really happened to me to keep me from getting close to them.

"Lena? Lena?" said a voice. I snapped out of my thoughts to see everyone in my face.

"What?" I snapped, feeling claustrophobic.

"You sat there, staring at the T.V. long after the movie ended and we turned off the screen!" said Kiki, I guess my confusion showed, because she went on, "We all went and had _two bowls _of popcorn. You just sat here! Staring into space and mindlessly petting Tricky!" That was the first time I noticed that Tricky was even in my lap.

"I was just… thinking."

"About what?" asked Rafi, sitting back down next to me.

"I—I…" I trailed off, looking down at my hands that were wringing together nervously.

"Does anyone want to learn about my past?" asked Tara. All eyes turned to her, and all eyes widened in disbelief. "What? I'm just finally ready to tell you guys."

Everyone quickly moved to get seated, and looked expectantly at her. When she looked at me, I mouthed a quick thank-you, and she nodded in acknowledgement.

Tara cleared her throat, and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked like a new girl.

"When we were sent out into the orphan system, I was immediately picked up by an old man named Nate Vanderbilt. He owned almost every mall in the country, while he was alive. Anyway, he and I became close, I guess. He'd never gotten around to having a family of his own when he was younger, and adopted me to help fill the void or something. It was like having an actual Grandfather for once. I loved him like he was my own Grandfather. Do you know how he became so rich? He was a seer. The most rare kind too, he could see not only what was going to happen for sure, but also what would happen if you took this choice, or the other. That's how I knew what would happen when I came here. The week before he died, he took me into his office, and told me most of my future up until now. I knew what would happen when I came here, I knew for a whole lot longer than you guys that I would be a Guardian." She smiled to herself, lost in memories, then she laughed. "He was a damn smart man, Nate Vanderbilt. He knew that we were going to need money, that all of us were going to be orphans, or runaways. So in his will, he gave us each a mall of our own."

"What! Do you mean to tell me that I've been shopping in malls everywhere, and I didn't even really need to be paying because I _own _one?" shouted Naomi.

"No, I'm telling you that all of us have bank accounts that we will be able to access when we turn 16 filled with money from years of salary, and with the interest building on top of that, I'm pretty sure that each of us here are pretty much millionaires."

Jaws dropped, including mine.

"So do you mean to tell me, that when I turn sixteen that I will immediately become a millionaire?" asked Brendan.

Tara nodded. "Now, I do believe that Lena has something to say to us."

Tara politely gave me the floor. As all eyes turned to me, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "If any of you so much as open your mouth to speak, while I'm telling you this, I swear to God I will stop wherever I am, and wring your neck."

Silence greeted my threat. Opening my eyes, I looked at Rafi, "I'm finally ready to trust you, all of you, with the reason why I won't let you get close," I took another deep breath and turned away, clearing my features, my face becoming stone.

"After my brother left me, alone at thirteen, I didn't know how to deal with it. I guess my foster parents at the time didn't either, because then I was sent to another foster home. In the beginning, it was all right, not as bad as some of the other foster homes I'd been in, but not one of the greatest. The only two kids in the place were me, and a little girl who was only ten. We had fun together, and the couple was nice to us. And then, one day, I have no idea what happened. The guy, he came home late, I remember he was wearing a green shirt. He was drunk, and in a horrible mood. His wife wasn't home, because she had had to go visit her mom, who was sick. The guy, he—he" my voice broke, and tears started to stream down my face as images flashed through my mind, the memories finally free to flow. "He advanced on me and the girl, he took off our clothes, if we resisted, he would hit us. And then he—he—his hands were everywhere, and he was _rough._ It hurt more than you would imagine." I started to sob now, as the worst of the memories came flowing in. "Other children started to show up within the next week or so, and the woman wasn't back yet. Apparently her mother was in worse condition than the doctors let on, I have no idea why her husband wouldn't be with her. Every night, and sometimes during the day, the man would get drunk, and repeat what he did to us. He threatened that if we went to the authorities he would kill us." I hugged my knees to my chest, and flinched even more than normal when Rafi tried to wordlessly comfort me, "It went on and on. I had been broken, still am, I guess. I gave up trying to resist, and wasn't even surprised when I found out I was pregnant." I said bitterly. "His wife came home, and the raping stopped, he didn't go and get drunk anymore, and I heard him say to his wife that I had gotten smitten with one of the new kids, which is why I was pregnant. Nine months later, I went into labor; he refused to take me to the hospital. It had been just him and me at the house that day, I remember. His wife had taken all of the other kids to the amusement park, but being pregnant, she wouldn't take me. I was forced to have my baby on the bathroom floor…" sniffing, I went on. "When it was all over with, I was exhausted. Giving birth is even more painful than being raped. He let me hold my baby, my Michael, for five minutes. Five seconds was all it took for me to love him." Smiling sadly, but still crying, I went on. "The second, you look down into that ugly, red face, you wonder, 'How could I ever love something like this?' but then you feel him hold your finger with all five of his, and see him smile up at you. You hear him make his first sounds, you calm him when he first cries, and then you realize why your parents would get so worried about you. But, my happiness didn't last long. The man, he took my baby, my Michael, and he filled up the sink. At first, I thought that he was bathing him, that he was making him clean. I realized too late what he was really up to. When I didn't hear anything from my baby, when he was finished, I finally snapped. I was filled with energy and strength, and I went after him. I took the top off of the toilet, and I hit him over the back of the head with it. He crumpled to the ground, and I thought he was dead, but then he groaned. I ran downstairs and grabbed the phone and a knife. Before I had finished dialing the police, he tried to grab me. I turned on him and put the knife to his throat. I said 'If you so much as breathe wrong, I am going to slit your throat.' And then the police picked up the phone, I told them everything, where I was living, and the man's name. They assured me that they would be on the way their immediately.

"The man hadn't moved the whole time, and he didn't move when he wife and the other kids suddenly came into the kitchen. All of the happy sounds, and the laughter stopped when they saw me, blood soaked, sweaty, and obviously not pregnant anymore. The woman tried to take the knife from me, but I started to yell. 'Do you know what he did to me? Did you know that your husband was raping all of us while you were gone? Did you know that he killed my baby?' I screeched even more horrible things, things I can't remember, and his wife just turned around and went into her room, locking the door behind her. The other kids, they were all nice, they all stuck around until the police showed up, and gave them their accounts of what had been done. After they arrested him, they confiscated my baby, and took DNA samples from me. I didn't even get to bury him. I didn't get to see justice to that creep either. All that was given to me was an apology, and a new foster home. I don't know what happened to his wife, I don't really care, but I think she killed herself. And that is my story, that is the reason why I wont let you guys close, it's the reason I am who I am today, I'll never be able to forget it. I'll never be able to forget my baby's trusting face as he looked at me through his purple eyes, like my own, for the first time. I'll—I'll" I finally broke down and started to really cry, I sobbed, I couldn't even make anything close to words. My mascara, the only make-up I ever wear, stained my jeans, and the force of my sobs nearly threw me off of the couch.

"Lena, I—I don't know what to say…" came Rafi's voice, I looked up into his eyes, my sobs starting to become less powerful. "May I?" he asked, indicating comforting me. I nodded, and crawled into his lap.

"Lena, its not our past that defines us, we're not going to think your trashy because you had a bad experience. If you ever need to talk, about anything, just come to me. You don't need to handle any of this kind of stuff by yourself any more." He murmured these comforting words into my ears, right before Naomi went ballistic.

"What is with you people? Manda, quit crying, Kiki, stop looking so sad! I'm sick of this! _She_ gets all of the powers, _she_ gets the Chamaran, _she _gets the pet! I'm so sick of her getting all of the attention! I bet she made all of this up! Just so she can keep all of the attention!" she screeched, Rafi pushed me to the side, and stood up to defend me. I weakly got up, and pushed him back down.

"Naomi, why do you say all of this? Six years ago, you wouldn't have cared."

"Well six years changes people, doesn't it!" she sneered at me.

"Is it proof that you want?" I asked.

"I don't need proof to tell me that you're a _liar_." She hissed.

I held up my wrists, "Hair doesn't grow here anymore, because of all the ropes he tied around them." I pulled my shirt over my head and showed her the scars on my back, "These scars are from when I would try to run away, one for every time I did." I pulled my shorts down a little, "And, these," I gestured to the bottom of my stomach, "Are the stretch marks from when I was pregnant."

Naomi's eyes filled with tears, "Lena, I'm—I'm so sorry, I was just fed up with not getting any attention, and—"

I shook my head, and smiled sadly at her. "It's okay, this kind of thing doesn't happen often any more. I didn't expect you all to believe me." My eyes filled with tears again, "You know, his birthday was in December, my favorite month. The day he was born was the first snow of the year." I sobbed again, and slumped to the floor, only to be hugged by a mob of people, murmuring their apologies, and crying with me. I smiled when I realized that it was the first time I hadn't flinched when any of the boys touched me.

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**I felt that that was a good ending, it just felt right, although this chapter seems very wimpy next to the last one.**

**I'm not going to lie to you, I nearly cried when I wrote this. And just for some info, I've never been raped, and I've never had a kid. What I wrote up there is just what I imagine it would be like to have a child, and I did do my research! Talking to other moms and dads, they all said the same things, or something along those lines.**

**Reviews would be appreciated greatly!**

**Queen of the Fairytales**


	10. Dreaming of Prophecies

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long, I'd lost my inspiration for a while, but then found it again by reading Trust by Only4Miken! I'll put the link for the story on here somewhere, so you guys could check it out! But if you do go and read their story, please review! Because they really need some support, they've put all of themselves into that story, and I love how they did that! And only4miken, if you're reading this, please review and tell me what you think!**

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**Ch. 10:**

**Dreaming of Prophecies**

**(Lena's POV)**

That night was the first of the nightmares. Not just the ones where I relive my past, but a new one, something I'd never even be able to begin to imagine.

The dream…

I woke up on what felt like sand, but when I sat up and looked down, I figured out it was ash. I then looked up, and saw that I was in a burnt building. The only things left were the metal wall frames some glass tubes I suspected had been lab equipment, and a tattered cloak that had somehow miraculously survived. The sky was a blood red, and ash fell like rain, although I somehow stayed dry.

Getting up, I walked around, realizing that not just this building had burned, but the whole city, or town, or whatever this place had been, was too. For miles, all I could see was piles of ashes. I let out a dry sob as I realized how many lives had been taken, even if the people hadn't died, they were left with nothing now.

"It's heartbreaking isn't it?" asked a deep, gravelly, unfamiliar, and all too terrifying voice. A bony hand touched my shoulder; I turned around to tell whomever this was off.

"Look buddy—" and then I screamed. The man was—literally—all bone. He had no skin, no hair, no eyes, no lips, no muscles… nothing, and it freaked me out.

A chuckle somehow escaped his lipless, "Don't be scared, I am only here to warn you."

"Who are you?" I asked, shock still rumbling through my body like a waterfall.

"My name is not of importance, what I have to tell you is." He replied

"Lena?" I heard a shout, "Where are you? I heard you scream!" it was Rafi.

"Up here!" I shouted. Rafi climbed over the hilltop, I was still standing in front of the skeleton man, frozen with fear.

"Hey! Let her—" he stopped, when the skeleton man turned his head to look at Rafi, the hood that had been covering his face fell. I gasped when I realized that the cloak full of holes I had noticed earlier was the one he was wearing now.

"You, come here! Stand next to Lena and listen to me carefully." Rafi did as he was commanded, and subtly grabbed my hand as he did so. It comforted me in a way I couldn't explain, and I became confused as unknown feelings welled up inside me once again.

"There is danger. One of you will be betrayed by someone you thought to be close. The other will have their heart shattered, and rebuilt more than once. Soon, Satan's Warrior will rise, and start to build an army. If you do not stop him before he completes this task, the heavens will crumble, Satan will rein supreme, and your world as you know it will become the new hell."

The skeleton disappeared in a puff of ash, Rafi and I shared one fleeting look, and then I awoke.

Back to reality…

I opened my eyes, gasping for breath and sweating profusely. Still trying to catch my breath, I untangled myself from my bed sheets—dumping a completely confused and angry Tricky onto the floor—and climbed out the window. Calming down a bit, I walked over to where I felt Rafi's presence, and sat down next to him.

"That was very disturbing," he said without looking at me. When he took my hand again that feeling of security and comfort returned, along with more unfamiliar feelings.

"Yes, quite," we sat in silence, watching the sunrise, and landscape take shape. Sighing, I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I thought that by finally getting out of the Orphan System, I wouldn't have anymore trouble," I sighed again.

"Lena," he said looking down, and giving me a half smile, "You should know by now that you _attract _trouble. Like honey and flies."

Looking into his golden eyes, I couldn't help but smile. I flicked my eyes down, and bit my lip. When I looked up, his face was closer to my own.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" I breathed. My heart was racing, my hands were starting to sweat, and I couldn't see as clearly as before, I let go of his hand, and picked my head up, putting some much needed distance between us.

"Bite your lip when you're nervous," he said quietly.

"I—I don't know," now I stutter through simple sentences? What is wrong with me?! "W—Why? Is—is it annoying?"

"No, its totally cute," he closed the space again, our faces just inches apart. My heart was beating so fast, I could barely remember to breath.

With a sudden jolt, I realized that I _wanted _him. I _wanted _him to kiss me, to hold me, to comfort me, to… love me.

With that realization, I tried moved farther away, finding that I couldn't move my lower body, due to the fact that Rafi was now leaning over it. His body on my right, a hand keeping him balanced on my left. _I can't do this!_ I screamed to myself in my head. _I'll end up getting hurt. Or __**he **__will end up getting hurt. No good can come from me falling in love with him! Everyone I've ever loved have either left, or died! I __**can't **__do this!_ My heart fought what my mind was saying. It wouldn't just lay down and let me have my own way, not this time.

Still, I leaned away from Rafi, my back brushed the rough shingles on the roof, and I had nowhere else to continue retreat. Rafi advanced still closer, matching my every move.

"Rafi," I said breathlessly, "I can't do this!"

He gave me a sad look, "Don't take it the wrong way! Rafi, I _want _to, I really, really want to. It's just, after all I've—" he cut me off.

"You want to stay friends, you don't like me in that way," he snorted in disgust at what I'm guessing was what he thought of as his own stupidity, and got off of me, looking away to the horizon.

I stared at him, bewildered. That wasn't what I was going to say at all. "No! No! Rafi, don't ever think like that. I wasn't going to say that! But yes, I want to stay friends. Just until my head agrees with my heart."

He turned around and gave me a halfhearted smile. "You don't have to lie to me Lena, I'm fine with it. I just thought that maybe, just maybe, you were having the same feelings for me, that I was having for you."

Anger reared up inside me, "Are you kidding me?!" I shouted, standing up. "You think that after everything every man has ever put me through, that I'm just going to forget all of it and fall for a guy after only knowing him for _a couple of_ _weeks?_"

Rafi didn't say anything, just opened and closed him mouth like a fish. "Save it. After my father left for no reason, the only family I had left to cling to was my brother. Don't get me wrong, Chance is a good guy, but he's no parent. I'm the one that took over, the younger sister, the ten year old. And then he left me, to go to Pandora, he left three years ago, leaving me defenseless and alone, and I haven't even gotten a letter from him since. You know what happened after that. I got raped, I was beaten, I got pregnant! I had a baby, and then the stupid bastard that had raped, beaten, and gotten me pregnant, took the one thing from me that might've made my life still worth living. _He killed my baby. _For the last six years, every man I've ever known has hurt me in unspeakable ways. So if you think for one minute that after knowing you for only two weeks that I'm going to just drop all of that and forget all of the distrust, wariness, and hatefulness, that I have for men, you can forget it. My mind has built a wall, and if you want to be the man to break it down, you've got to do it brick by brick. Right now, your still stuck on about the tenth one. You've got about ten hundred more to go, just to make a hole in it big enough for your pinky toe."

Rafi was gaping at me, with this look of awe, and complete adoration.

"What?!" I screeched, flinging my hands around, trying to get him to stop looking at me like that. I accidentally hit myself on the cheek, and I felt the dampness of tears. _Seems like I've been doing that a lot lately_, I thought.

"You—you do care?" Rafi finally asked tentatively.

"Of course I care dumb ass! Why wouldn't I? You're the only guy that has ever made me shout this much for no reason! You are the only guy that makes me blush just by coming into the room. You're the only guy that can make me cry just by telling me that he cares." I looked wildly around for something else to say, "You're the only guy that—that—that has ever even been close to making my wall come crashing down around me." I finished quietly.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked. I shifted my gaze to him, only to find that he was standing, his face many inches above my own.

"Well, yeah. I guess." I said.

"Then would you please just let me kiss you now?"

"Rafi, I don't think—"

"Lena, quit thinking and just go with the flow for once," he muttered, I tilted my head back to look into his eyes. A mistake I shouldn't have made if I didn't want to kiss him. The only problem? I think I did.

He carefully took my chin in between his fingers, pulling me towards him, all the while bending his head down to meet my lips that were being forced closer to his. He stopped when his lips were a breath away, "It's your decision." He breathed.

I felt his hot breath on my lips, could smell the sweetness of his breath, and could see the way he had knowingly put himself into a vulnerable position. I pushed away the doubts, and the voice in my head shouting that he couldn't be trusted, and quickly closed what little distance was left between mine and Rafi's lips.

I moved my hands, which were hanging limply at my sides, to around his neck, roughly forcing his hand away from my chin, and standing up on tippytoe. I felt him move both of his hands to my hips. I gasped and broke away slightly when I felt him move them to my butt.

"What?" he asked, sounding like he'd just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Don't do that." I said powerfully, my arms still around his neck.

"What?" he said, waking up a little.

"Don't let your hands roam," he finally opened his eyes and looked at me. He took in my scared expression, and where his hands were on my body, and quickly moved them back to my waist.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

I nodded weakly, shutting my eyes at the tears starting to form. _How could I feel like this and yet still want to scream every time he touches me?_

"Hey, Lena, you know that I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, _ever _try and force you to do something I know you don't want to do."

"Then what the hell was that? I told you I couldn't do it!" I shouted. _Why do I get so mad, so easily? Why am I thinking these things to myself, and not trying to fix them?_

"There's a difference there. I knew that you _wanted _to, but that you couldn't because you were over thinking it. You don't know how well I've gotten to know you in the past few weeks. I don't care if we've only known each other for fourteen days, it feels like I've known you forever."

I stared at him, as he crumbled, yet another layer of my wall. I shook my head and looked away, trying to make all the gooey, romancy things I wanted to say to him go away.

"Lena, look at me," Rafi reached up and took on of my hands from around his neck, lacing his fingers through mine, and doing the same with his other hand. "Just tell me if you want to wait. I don't care. As long as I have you in the long run, I don't care. And I'll beat up anymore bastards that want to hurt you."

My eyes, brimming with tears, finally found his as my wall came crumbling down around me, "Where were you three years ago?" I asked, my voice cracking. Shaking his hands off, I jumped up and hugged him. He caught me with and 'Oomph' and nearly toppled over.

I cried into his shoulder for a while, then I grabbed his face with my hands and kissed him again, letting this one last long and sweet. Gradually, he set me onto the roof, without our lips ever parting. My hands had moved to his neck again, so I started to pull, leaning down with my back against the roof for the second time that morning, this time with Rafi on top of me.

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**(Rafi's POV)**

As Lena pulled me down with her, I found a comfortable place resting my hands on either side of her head, and my knees on either side of one of her legs. She moved her face away without warning, and I found myself kissing her ear instead.

"What now?" I asked.

"I—I thought I could, you were so sweet, you crumbled my barriers. But, I just can't, not without images and memories of _him _popping up. I'm so sorry Rafi, just give me time, we need to take this slow."

I sighed heavily, "It's okay Lena, I knew that there was a very slight chance of you being able to go through with this. I'm really okay with it, I can wait."

"You're such a good guy, Raphael Di Angelo, don't change that," she got up and went to the edge of the roof.

"And you are an amazing girl, Lena Devynne." I whispered to her back, as she ungracefully dropped from the edge of the roof.

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**I know I know, it's kind of a sad ending, but just so you can prepare yourself, it is going to get worse before it gets better. But it ****will**** get better, I promise. At first, I couldn't decide what to do with this stupid chapter; I think I have three different versions of it. Plus I have a headache forming because our roof is being retiled or whatever, and so there is a constant banging of hammers above my head! Its ANNOYING!**

**So anyway, please review, and here is the link for ****only4miken's story, Trust****!!**

**/s/3973150/1/**

**oh, by the way her last name is pronounced like 'divine' I just didn't want to use the same spelling.**


	11. Thinking of Thoughts, and Taking Over

**All right, so I'm having difficulties with my Microsoft word, it is completely out of date and needs to be replaced. I hate it. Mostly cause I have about six stories on here I can't read anymore since my Microsoft word trial for 2007 ran out. It completely SUCKS A!!**

**Anyway, here is the much-needed update for this story. Idk why I haven't updated recently, I think its cause I've begun a new story, but on paper, and its about my own struggles and whatnot… anyway. Here it is. If it sucks don't be afraid to tell me!**

**Oh! I just found out that somehow times new roman got deleted from my Microsoft word… how the heck does that even HAPPEN?! Grrrr (insert extremely confused and infuriated face here)**

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**Ch. 11:**

**Thinking of Thoughts, and Taking Over**

**(Rafi's POV)**

I sighed again and stood up to climb back through the window into the room I shared with the other guys.

"What were you doing out there?" asked Adam, slowly rising from his deathlike sleep. I swear that guy could sleep through five marching bands giving a performance around his bed.

"Just thinking," I replied quickly.

"Do you shout to yourself when you're thinking? Because I swear I heard shouting."

"No, that would be weird. You must've been dreaming. What's that smell?" I asked.

"Brendan came in yelling something about a breakfast buffet packet about an hour ago. Haven't seen anyone since."

I snorted, _wonder why, sleeping beauty._

Trotting into the kitchen with a still sleepy Adam walking in behind me, I found a large buffet table set up with everyone but Manda crowding around it.

"There you are baby! I tried to wake you up but it was like you were in a coma!" she fretted around him like a nervous humming bird, fixing his hair and rubbing slobber off of his cheek. He gave me a 'help me!' look, but I just chuckled and grabbed a plate.

As I was filling my plate with all kinds of eggs, meats, and other assorted breakfast items, I accidentally brushed someone's arm. Looking up, I watched Lena as her face went from showing joy, to confusion, to anger, then hopelessness. Looking down, I saw her arm covered in goose bumps.

_How can one guy have such an affect on me?_ Came her voice in my mind. Startled, I nearly dropped my plate. I hadn't heard anyone's thoughts since we changed that first time.

"Did you say something?" Kelvin asked her.

"N—No," she replied

"You heard it too?" I asked him.

"Heard what?" he asked, shoving a mini-muffin into his mouth.

"Her thoughts!"

"Now why would I be able to hear her thoughts?" he gave me a look that made me think he deduced me as crazy.

"You heard her say 'How can one guy have such an affect on me' didn't you!" Lena kept looking at us back and forth, like she was watching a ping-pong match.

"Well, yeah. But she says she didn't say it! What is wrong with you?" he shook his head and walked away.

Lena put her plate down on top of the sausages, and glared at me in a scary way. "How did you know what I was thinking?" she whispered fiercely.

"I don't know! When Brendan and I were in the foster home together, I could read his thoughts too, and then that first day, before we changed, I read yours. But then when we changed, I stopped hearing them. I don't know how it happens, I just pick it up!" I hissed at her.

We were receiving stares from the rest of our 'family' so Lena picked up her plate, obviously not satisfied, and slammed it down onto the breakfast table. Eggs went flying everywhere, giving Tricky a nice filling job for the morning.

"Uh, what's wrong?" asked Tara. I still couldn't believe that she was so talkative in reality, that her tough girl persona was just an act.

"Rafi read my mind." She glared at me and I sighed, _I guess we've taken a step backward in our relationship…_ I thought to myself.

"Of course we've gone backward! You invaded my mind!" I stared at her stunned. "What now? Do you know how bad the language is that I'm speaking to you in my mind?" she said crossly, waving her arms about.

"No, but you knew what I was thinking! I never said a thing out loud!"

"But I heard you too!" said everyone around the table at once. Looking at one another, they shrugged and said, "That was weird."

Lena and I stared at them open mouthed.

There was a sudden silence in the room, and then my mind completely exploded with thoughts from everyone around the room.

_Everyone here is crazy; I wish this had never happened, _I'm pretty sure that that was Lena.

_What __**is **__it with people? Reading each other's minds is crazy! Although, this whole experience has been insane…_I think those thoughts were the twins, I guess since they are twins they have the same brainwaves, or thoughts?

Various other complaints and remarks burst through my skull to embed themselves in my brain.

"Stop thinking!" I finally yelled in desperation.

Immediately complete silence enveloped me. _Now, if you can hear this, I want you to raise your hand._ I mouthed along with what I was thinking so no one freaked out.

Everyone raised their hands, _Now, I want you to raise your hands if you thought I was speaking,_ I quit mouthing along halfway through what I was thinking.

Eyes became wide, and mouths formed round 'O's. Sound exploded into my mind again, and this time I cringed in pain.

_YOU HAVE TO QUIT THAT! _I thought-yelled as loudly and strongly as I could.

Everything quieted down again, as people started to whisper-think. _Great, now I'm always going to have them in my mind! No privacy! How stupid!_

I thought, receiving a glare from everyone. Suddenly Tara's mind was cut off for a second.

"How'd you do that?" Lena demanded, still in a bad mood from finding out people were in her mind.

"I just felt around a bit up there," she pointed to her head, "and figured out that there were tube-like things coming from each of your minds into mine… I so I imagined that they were blocked at my end. Kind of like pipes with a whole bunch of gunk stuck in them."

"Cool! It does work!" Brendan said excitedly.

Every eye turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"Of course it works, you dummy! Otherwise Tara's mind wouldn't have disappeared!" Naomi retorted.

Everyone laughed, and Brendan hung his head in apparent shame.

"Naomi, there is no need to be rude." Tara crossed her arms across her chest, resuming her tough-girl face.

"It's not my fault that your boyfriend is incredibly dimwitted."

Tara scowled at her and Naomi didn't even flinch. "It's not scary anymore, Tara."

"And you trying to be queen bee has never worked before," she retorted.

Naomi's mouth opened in shock, and closed again, she stood suddenly and stalked from the room. I flinched as the door to the girls' shared bedroom slammed shut, shaking the walls with the force.

"I better go calm her down," Kiki sheepishly rose and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

"Tara, why did you have to go and pick a fight?" Lena demanded, her scowl much more frightening than any of Tara's past ones.

"She's the one who was insulting innocent people," Tara said, but the look in her eyes said that Lena was getting scarier by the second.

"She's always done that! So there was no need for you to antagonize her further." Lena's voice made it clear that the conversation was over.

Everyone dispersed after that, leaving me alone with Lena again.

"You've really taken over," I teased.

She gave me a look, "Someone has to! These"—she struggled to find the right word—"Kids, don't know how to act, they don't understand that we have to work together as a team flawlessly, without distractions or fights. Everything we do from the moment we are sent to Solaris will be important to our lives and the ones around us. There is no room for any kind of mistake."

"Then I think you should start letting me in on your plans, you're going to need my help. The rest of our 'family' wont listen to just one of us."

Lena put her head in her hands, and gave a distressed sound—something between a hiss and a growl. Tricky looked up, alarmed, and quietly jumped onto the table, gave a soft mew and licked her hand.

I sighed, wondering when my animal would show up. A loud bang erupted from the glass door, Tricky jumped four feet off of the table and landed about two feet away, her hair standing on end. Lena let out a muffled shout, and raised her head at the same time, catching my wildly frantic eyes.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"I don't know, but we better find out."

I slowly and carefully made my way around the counter, towards the glass door, and sighed with relief when I saw it was a very, very large puppy. The only reason I knew it wasn't a full grown dog was the fact that it's skin was all droopy around his frame, like he hadn't yet grown into it.

"It's okay! It's only a puppy!" I shouted to the rest of the house. I'd noticed some mangled shouts and curses as the rest of us filed into the kitchen again.

"A puppy?" asked Landan.

"It felt more like an elephant just rammed the side of the house!" Brendan over exaggerated.

I rolled my eyes, and opened the door to see if the puppy was all right. I honestly couldn't tell which end I was looking at, because of the hair. It was so long, and so dark, I couldn't really tell whether or not it was a baby wooly mammoth.

A squeak sounded from the end closest to me, and then the little guy shook, his hair parted around his face, and I could tell that he looked more like a bear cub than a pup. The tail was short and stubby, but wagged so hard his whole body shook.

The girls behind me suddenly all 'awwwwed!' as it barked again.

"What are you going to name him?" Manda asked.

"Reliable." I replied instantly, "Where did that come from?" I asked aloud.

"That's the way I named Tricky too! It just seemed to come out of my mouth before I could think."

"Is it hurt?" asked Kelvin, tentatively reaching over my shoulder to pat it's head.

"I don't think so. Dang! He's so _heavy_! Feels more like a fully grown, and fully fat Golden Retriever!" I barely had enough air in me to say that, because the puppy had suddenly knocked me over and stood on my stomach, trying to lick my face.

"Aw, he likes you!" Kiki cooed.

I rolled my eyes, "Get him _off!"_

It took Kelvin, Adam, and Tara to lift him off of my stomach.

"We're home!" came a singsong voice from the front door.

"Great," I said, as Reliable and Tricky both bounded to greet Gregory and Lilly, "Now they'll get knocked down and be in a horrible mood."

A crash resounded from the entryway, and I swear Lilly's and Gregory's shouts could be hear halfway around the world.

* * *

**I thought that was a good place to stop. I'm so sorry It's been so long since I've updated, I've been going through some stuff lately. Plus I can't sleep. I swear I have insomnia or something. Aw! this chapter seems short... anyway, it's all in Rafi's POV. Hmmmm. Never dont that before. Oh well! I'm tired, so I might update again tomorrow, not sure...**


	12. I Love You This Can't Happen!

**Ch. 12:**

**I Love You (This Can't Happen!)**

**(Lena's POV)**

All ten of us rushed into the front room. Reliable had Lilly pinned down, licking her face, and getting slobber all over her nice blue blouse. The boys proceeded to pick him up, and warily stepped away from Lilly's livid face. Tricky had climbed up Gregory's pants and was now perched on his head, eyeing the scene in front of her with what I swear was an amused glint in her lime green eyes.

Manda cooed at Tricky until she lightly jumped from Gregory's short head into her waiting arms—not a very big feat since his head was barely above Manda's shoulders.

Lilly slowly began to sit up, her face a strange shade of puce. "Where. Did. That. _Thing_. Come. From." Her question came out very slowly, as she controlled her voice, and sounded more like a demand than a question.

"He slammed into the glass door in the kitchen. He looks like a giant bear!" Tara exclaimed. I was still taken aback by her abrupt change in personality. Instead of her usual dark demeanor, she was now smiley, talkative, and slightly dim-witted. Sometimes she would slip back into one of her dark expressions, like she had either forgotten she didn't have to act anymore, or she was trying really hard not to scream.

"That's because he's a bear-dog," Gregory said. Only Adam and Kiki seemed to know what he was talking about.

"I thought that cross-breeding between species was illegal," Rafi finally stated after two or three minutes of confused silence.

"It is, but only after the world-government discovered some whacked-out scientist that could speak with animals in an underground lab, creating new animals from scratch. Using DNA from the animals that always seemed to surround him." Adam supplied this new information, after it had a little time to sink in, Kiki continued for him.

"It took two years until the government finally found a chink in his animal armor. And by then, he'd already released hundreds of new species into the wild. They were never recorded officially, but there are some records as to maybe one-tenth of the species he created."

Silence followed, finally fed up with the constant quiet, I said, "At least we know what he is."

"Right. How big will he get?" Rafi's voice rose near the end, probably with fright at the thought of how big Reliable _could _get.

"I don't think anyone knows," Gregory said, finally helping his wife off the floor.

Lilly's face had still not back to its normal color. "Get that bear-dog outside now." What she said was not a suggestion, it wasn't an exclamation, it was an outright demand.

(break)

**(Rafi's POV)**

The following weeks, after that weekend, seemed to be boring and bland compared to what had been going on before. Lilly and Gregory said that it was normal for us to be able to read each other's minds, and for Lena and I to be visited by the Prophet in our dreams once in a while.

Lilly and Gregory continued to go away every weekend, saying that their friends' needed them, or that they had errands to run without us being around. Every time they went away, somehow Lena and I would end up being alone together. It was never on purpose. Mostly it was due to the fact that the others wanted couple time, so Lena and I would go somewhere to be alone, usually finding ourselves thrown together by fate.

Every once in a while Lena and I would end up kissing, or doing something people who were just friends wouldn't normally do. And every time, Lena would pull away first, giving excuses and running out with distressed tears in her eyes. It hurt me to watch her try again and again to please me, and to watch her fail again and again with the struggle her mind and her memories have made her go through just to be happy.

It was one of those days, during the weekend of course (no one wanted to have Lilly or Gregory walk in on them 'being a couple'), when Lena and I found ourselves thrown together once again.

I laughed at the irony, I had just been thinking about the last time we'd been alone. There was no kissing, but we had gotten dangerously close to talking about Lena's past, something she doesn't particularly like to talk about.

She swiveled her chair away from the window in the music room, and looked surprised to see me.

"Hey!" she said brightly. She's having a good day.

"What cha' doin'?" I asked, striding over and sitting in the chair next to her.

"Just looking and thinking."

"'Bout what?" I asked again.

"The fact that we will be leaving on Saturday, and the fact that our birthday is tomorrow and the others are Tuesday. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday."

"Yeah, it's still surprising that we all have the same birthdays."

She looked back up at me then, and shook her head. "I'm not surprised by anything anymore."

She was so serious, and her expression was full of so much pain, I had to go hug her. She met me halfway, and heaved a dry sob into my shoulder. I buried my face into her hair, I didn't bother trying to reason with her and make her feel better. It just made her mad.

She pulled away slightly and looked up into my eyes, having to really bend her neck back to do so. "How do you always know what I need and when?"

"Because in the span of a month and a half, I've gotten to know you better than I know myself," I answered truthfully. She pondered what I said for a minute or two. Not moving, but not looking into my eyes.

"That's the same way I feel. Especially since I've gotten a look in your head!" she teased, flicking my forehead with her finger.

"Right. Well, I've also seen inside yours, and it's not a very nice place."

"Oh shut up!"

We still hadn't moved. Her arms were around my neck, and my hands were at her waist. The only place they could rest without her objecting. She gazed into my eyes for what seemed like forever. Slowly, but forcefully she began to pull me down to her level.

We kissed, and she jumped up into me after a few seconds, wrapping her newly toned and muscled legs around my waist. I didn't have to move my hands from her waist. Slowly, I stumbled to the piano and sat her on the back of its closed lid. She didn't move her hands, but I rested mine behind her on the piano lid now. We quickly moved passed the part of making-out when you didn't move, to the part where your hands start to roam. Well—actually—just her hands. Not mine. I learned a while ago that if I was good, our closer-than-friends moments would last longer. Her hands slowly traveled from my neck to up my shirt, feeling over the muscles that had slowly formed from training, and then roamed to my back, pulling me closer.

She let go suddenly, pushing me away slightly, and putting about a foot's-width of distance between our faces. I braced myself for the tears, for the excuses, but none came.

"Why don't you ever touch me?" she demanded.

I was taken off guard, and found myself being truthful instead of lying. "Because it lasts longer when I don't."

"It—Wha—Oh, you're right," she bit her lip, and I felt something pushing at the blockage of her 'mind-tube' (as we refer to our connections to each-others' minds now).

I opened up a little—letting whatever it was through. What caught me off guard was that it was an emotion. It was what she was feeling, and it had a questioning air about it. (Something most of you wouldn't understand unless you can do what we can.)

I chuckled slightly, and she swatted my arm. "What you're feeling is lust. You've never felt that before?"

She looked slightly alarmed, "Well, yeah… but only with… you."

I calmly brushed the hair out of her face, leaving my hand on her cheek, and caressing it with my thumb. She unconsciously leaned into my hand, closing her eyes, and seeming to enjoy it.

"It's okay, Lena. I won't ever hurt you. You're feelings and heart are safe with me," I don't know why I said this, but it is what I felt she needed to hear.

A single tear slipped through her obvious restraint. "I know that, but I just can't seem to…" she trailed off, and I leaned in and kissed her.

Lena didn't respond at first, she seemed to be making a decision. Then she threw herself into the kiss with more vigor than she ever had. She forcefully moved my hand from behind her to her thigh; I left it there, but didn't move it. She groaned and pulled away again. "Kiss me!" she said forcefully, and I finally saw what she wanted me to do.

She wanted me to throw myself into this. She wanted us to stop being careful and only doing as much as we thought possible, she wanted us to push our limits—her limits, and see how long it would last.

(break)

**(Lena's POV)**

I'd taken the chance, I'd finally shoved the part of myself that was being cautious and careful into a closet and tied her to the coat rack in there.

I wanted to push past the limits I'd always set for myself, the one's that have kept Rafi and I apart.

The ones that kept me from loving him.

So when he kissed me, I hadn't responded, I'd thought through all of this and finally shoved Cautious Lena away. Then I finally just let the passion and lust I'd been feeling from the first time I'd been kissing Rafi to take over. I'd moved his hand to my thigh; I'd left the other one where it was, caressing my cheek. He was still being 'good', I groaned, and shoved him away.

"Kiss me!" I put as much force as I could behind the words. We stayed like that. His hand still on my face, the other on my thigh, mine inside his shirt, feeling the contours of his chest. As he looked into my desperate pleading eyes, it seemed to click for him, because then he suddenly kissed me with a passion I didn't know he was withholding from me.

I finally had to come back up for air, and he continued to kiss along my jaw, reaching my ear lobe, and continued down my neck. When he reached my face again, I saw a glint in his eye, one I'd never seen in those golden pools of liquid before. Our lips crushed together again, and his hands finally moved, groping over my body as mine had always groped over his. I didn't feel as if I was being violated, I felt as if I was being handled with care and love.

He was next in having to gasp for air, so I started to do what he had done to me, making my way along his jaw, when I reached his ear, I kissed that too, and finally pulled away.

We were both trying to catch our breath, and I felt a joy bubble up from deep inside me somewhere.

"I love you Lena Devynne." He whispered.

My joy was suddenly soaked up. Disbelief took its place. He can't. He can't love me; this will end in tragedy if he does. It can't happen. It just _can't._

I snorted, "Thats really funny, thanks Rafi."

His eyes became as wide as the earring hoops in Lilly's ears this morning. I didn't give him a chance to say anything else, because then I briskly walked from the room.

* * *

**(Hello! I'm trying to refrain from putting** **A/N at the beginning! I found this new site that I'm putting this story on also. its called fictionpress, and its under the same name and everything. dont worry though! I'm still going to be putting this one up first. I'm just trying to see what they think on that site of this story.)**


	13. Birthdays and Healing

**Ch. 13:**

**Birthdays and Healing**

* * *

**(Lena's POV)**

I woke up with the feeling that I had forgotten something incredibly important, and then I remembered it was both my birthday and Rafi's, but when the feeling didn't go away, I became confused. What could it be that I had forgotten?

Sighing, I pushed a rather large Tricky off of my legs so I could get some kind of feeling back so I could walk downstairs. Turning the corner into the living room, I was suddenly ambushed with sound.

"Happy Birthday!" shouted ten people at once. I noticed that Rafi was sitting next to Kiki and Naomi on the couch, but he didn't say anything.

"Aw guys, I'm still in my pajamas!"

"I can't imagine why. It's almost noon!" Lilly said as she enveloped me in a hug. Gregory joined in, and then I had nine people swarmed around me. I say nine, because Rafi was still on the couch.

After everyone had settled back down and I was between Brendan and Kelvin on the couch—the biggest two of my newly acquired brothers, might I add—Gregory got out of his chair to give me a small pink box.

"It's from all of us," he said simply.

I thanked him warmly and then opened the velvet-lined box—already knowing it was jewelry. What I didn't expect was what was inside. I slowly pulled out a bracelet that looked identical to the one my father had given my mother on their tenth anniversary over ten years ago. A tear dropped onto my sleep pants, soaking through the thin fabric and wetting my knee.

"I knew she'd love it!" shouted Tara, her enthusiasm these days was just way over the edge. I guess that's what comes from pretending to be an unfeeling person for over a week.

"I can't believe it. How'd—?" I tried to say, but I nearly sobbed so I had to cover my mouth.

"Turns out that Kiki has a photographic memory! Even when she was six!" Kelvin said, rubbing my shoulder warmly, Brendan did the same with my other shoulder. I felt like I was in the middle of a personal earthquake.

"It's beautiful. I love it!" I said, already trying to put it on.

"Here," Brendan said, laughing, "Let me help." In one swift motion he had the thin bracelet on my wrist.

I stared at it, remembering how it had looked on my mother's own wrist…

_:Flashback:_

"_Look what Daddy gave me for our anniversary!" my mother said, coming into my room while I was playing with my friends._

_We crowded around her and touched the bracelet. It looked like a silver vine had twined around her wrist, tiny flowers and leaves sprouted out every now and then, the metalwork was beautiful and intricate._

"_Wow mommy! It's so pwetty!" I squealed. "I want one!"_

_My friends chorused the same thing, and we all started jumping up and down._

_My Daddy came into the room then, chuckling to himself, "Now honey," he reasoned picking me up and sitting me on his hip while my friends—who had already forgotten what was so exciting—skipped off back to our game. "That bracelet was expensive, and took many weeks to make. Maybe when you're older I'll get you one."_

_He set me down, and kissed my nose. I happily skipped off and helped my friends dress my favorite doll._

_:End of Flashback:_

"Hey, wait a minute…"I said, noticing how ten of the leaves had stones set in them. "What are these?" I asked, pointing to the stones.

Two were lava stones—plucked from and erupting volcanoes at just the right moment, these stones looked like the living fire they'd come from—one was bigger than the other. The next two were blue Pearls—these special, and expensive pearls came from a fish that resided on the bottom of the ocean's deepest trench—still, one was slightly larger than the other. Third in line, were two wind stones—named such because of the way they sing if the wind touches them just right—and just like the last two sets, one was slightly bigger than the other. The next set of stones were Earth Stones—these stones looked as green as grass in one light, in another they held the color of the dirt—and still one was slightly larger than the other. The last two stones were the most expensive and most precious of all. These stones were a special opal, one that contained fragments of every gemstone on earth, and have to be created in laboratories, which is why they're more expensive and rare, it takes a very great deal of time to create them—even at this size—and even after they are created they have to be contained for many years, so as to make sure they are stable for public and personal use. And again, one was just a little bigger.

"The purpose and use for those will be revealed at the end of the week," Lilly said grandly.

She and her husband then grandly swept us all into the kitchen for a very late breakfast, on behalf of mine and Rafi's Birthday.

* * *

"So what was Rafi's gift?" I asked casually while the girls and I were getting ready for bed.

"Oh, it was basically the same thing, except his was manly, you know?" Manda said.

"No. I don't could you please explain?"

"He also got a bracelet, but it was leather and the stones were on the inside, so while it's on, it just looks like one of those stress relief things." Kiki said impatiently, being the most tired after our afternoon training session, she had been ready for bed since six. "Now can we _please_ go to bed?"

Manda, Naomi, Tara, and I all turned on our heels from the large mirror on the wall—where we had been taking off our make-up—put our hand on our hips, and raise one eyebrow each at her.

"I'm just tired, okay?" she snapped at us. We didn't let up on our glares. "Fine you've got five more minutes!"

We all smiled our thanks and returned to un-doing our faces.

* * *

I made sure to wake up early the next morning, and was downstairs before anyone else. I was sitting at the table, staring at the knots in the fake wood (we don't use real trees like that anymore) when I felt Rafi walk in behind me. I didn't really feel like talking yet, I wasn't really awake.

He sat down next to me with a cup of coffee in his hand; I got up myself for some. I grabbed the de-hydrated pellets from the cabinet, stuck one in a cup, put the rest back, and filled the cup with water.

I sat back down, and traced the shapes in the 'wood'. He still didn't say anything. Fine by me, I'm still too tired to open my mouth. Lilly and Gregory eventually trekked into the kitchen and stood at the counter with Manda and Adam's presents in their hands.

Deciding to finally wake up, I went over to them and started talking animatedly about the presents.

"What did we get them?" I asked, knowing full well that I hadn't even paid for it in anyway. Lilly had made us promise not to get each other presents. Like we could. I mean, I haven't left this house since I got here. It's a miracle that I was adopted and became a family with all of these people and all, but I mean, I haven't been off of Lilly and Gregory's land in two months. In a way I can't wait to go to Solaris, but in another I know I might not come back here.

"They're rings. Each of them has an Earth Stone in them, like the ones on your bracelet," Gregory said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"So does that mean that they're connected?"

"What? No—no, of course not. Why would you think that?" Lilly said too quickly. Both of them fled the room after that, claiming they had to get dressed. I followed suit. The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew cold, and I got the feeling that Rafi was incredibly pissed and disappointed in me.

* * *

**(Still Lena's POV… I know, I'm just as disappointed as you are…)**

The rest of the week passed as expected, Manda and Adam loved their Earth Stone rings. Just as Naomi and Kelvin loved their Blue Pearl rings; and Kiki and Landan loved their Wind Stones; and Tara and Brendan loved their Lava Stones. The only part of the week that didn't go as expected was the fact that Rafi and I hadn't spoken in about six days.

I just couldn't figure it out, I felt like I should know, like I should also know how to fix it. But the answers eluded me like so many things in my life; including happiness and blood related family.

Anyway, it was Saturday morning and all ten of us were getting ready to leave, we didn't need a car or a plane or anything, we could either run, or fly. Kiki, Manda, and Adam were all getting their questions answered, and I was staring at my bracelet, which still hadn't been explained to me, so I patiently waited for Manda, Kiki, and Adam to finish their rapid fire round with Lilly and Gregory to get my own single question answered.

"Why do we have speed and strength outside our Guardian forms, and not during?" Manda asked.

"Because the speed and strength is for when you all are apart, and can't change, so you can still protect yourself." Lilly answered immediately.

"How is it that the Yolonon and Chamaran know who we are and where we are? Before we used them of course." Adam asked.

"No one knows, it's just the way they work. It can't be explained," Gregory answered.

"What did you mean when you said that our dancing moves were for the more difficult part of our powers?" Kiki asked, and suddenly the room got quiet and everyone was paying more attention.

"You mean we didn't tell you? What we really meant was that your 'dancing' powers were going to be more difficult because you have to use your muscles and so on—you have to move. But in reality, after you know one of those moves well enough, you don't have to move. All you have to do is say the name of your element. And once you get good enough at that, you don't have to say anything at all, just imagine it happening, and it will," Lilly explained tiredly, she acted like this wasn't big news… when in reality, _it was._

"Okay," I said, "Are you three done now?" I asked, Kiki nodded for all of them, and I went on. "Now would you two please explain what these bracelets are for?"

"We haven't explained that either?!" Lilly asked, nearly hysterically. "We're horrible! We've forgotten to tell you about the most important stuff!"

"Calm down, honey. Those bracelets are for you to monitor your friends, or family as your referring to yourselves now. When they get in a stressful situation, the stones will glow. If they are in danger and need your help, they will shine so bright its nearly blinding. You see the stones in your bracelets are linked with the ones in their rings. And, God forbid, if they die, the stones will turn black. Also, to be activated the rings have to take some of the wearers blood."

"But can't we just use our mind-speech to alert one another?" asked Naomi, actually showing some intellect at this point. "Yes I am smarter than you all seem to think!" she shouted at us when we all turned and stared at her with our mouths hanging open.

"Not if you meet and get involved with Satan's Warrior. He will reveal himself to you at some point, and you will have to defeat him. But be warned, if he builds an army, and blesses them with his gift, they—along with Satan's Warrior—will be able to intercept any of your thoughts to each other. It can be quite dangerous, so when you find out that they are, well, alive and that they know what they are, you need to cease using thought-speech with each other," Lilly said, her voice rising with hysteria through her speech. "You all just make sure that you don't get hurt! I couldn't stand knowing that I didn't teach you enough to keep you from getting hurt!" she turned and hid her head in Gregory's shoulder, her own shoulders shaking with sobs.

All of us 'kids' turned to each other with confused looks on our faces; Lilly had never been so emotional before. I then had a thought as to what might be wrong, so I used my power to read people's auras, and sure enough, there wasn't just one, but two now coming from Lilly. I wouldn't have noticed it before, because it was so slight a change in Lilly's own aura that it would have passed under the radar.

"Lilly! I'm so happy for you! How far are you along?" I shrieked happily, being the only other person here that had ever known the joys of being pregnant.

"What?" she asked tearfully, turning to me.

I furrowed my brow, "You don't know? I would think that you would… I mean, I wouldn't have been able to tell if you were in the first three weeks…" I trailed off when Lilly's face suddenly went from confusion to understanding awe, and her hand slowly went to her belly.

"I'm—I'm—I mean, we've been trying… but I didn't think! Oh my goodness! I just realized I'm late! Holy shit!" she started shouting and screaming, and the rest of us girls started shouting and screaming and jumping around with her.

"We're—we're finally… wow." Was all Gregory could say, and he sat down, right there in the foyer, and put his head in his hands. The rest of the boys patted his shoulders—having to bend considerably to reach his small form—giving him congratulatory comments.

"Is that what you were talking about that day? When you surprised Rafi and I when we found out about our strength and speed?" I asked, turning to Gregory.

"Well, yes. We had been talking about having a baby for a while, but I didn't think we were ready until you guys grew up—and down, in your some of your cases—right in front of our eyes. I mean, if we can help train and teach ten teenagers, we can certainly raise a child."

I bent down and hugged him for a long moment. "I'm so happy for you guys, there is no better feeling in the world than holding your baby for the first time, after watching and feeling it grow within you."

"_What?!_" shouted Lilly and Gregory at the same time, taking about one or two pitches from my hearing range.

"First, I think that you just lost me about two pitches I can't hear anymore; and second, I've been pregnant before. In fact, I had a man rape me in my foster home, and then kill my baby when it was born."

Multiple gasps came from behind me, while Lilly and Gregory gaped at me for long moments.

"What?" I finally whined when no one said anything.

"That was so… abrupt and unfeeling! What happened to the emotional breakdown that follows this bit of news?" Rafi asked, the first thing he'd said to me in six days.

"I—I don't know. I think that the wound has healed. Have you not noticed that I haven't shied away from any of you guys in about a month? Or two? How long has it been? I don't know, but I think that finally telling y'all about it finally let me heal."

Rafi turned away, and his feelings towards me went back to cold and uncaring. (I know that 'cause of the aura thing… just if you guys forgot)

"Well, that is some information that should be broken lightly, not abruptly like that. Especially not to the people who think of themselves as your parents, at the time when you're going off to school," Gregory said, getting off the floor.

"You think of us as your kids?" ten of us whispered at once, making it sound like one person talking in a normal voice.

"Of course! Just don't go and kill yourselves or I'll kill you myself… If that makes sense," Lilly said, opening her arms for a group hug. We obliged and tears spilled, and goodbyes took forever, but finally, we were out the door and standing in the yard with Reliable and Tricky walking around our feet.

"Should we fly or fun first?" I asked no one in particular.

"I think we should just fly the whole way. We don't get tired anymore, and our packs and things will disappear when we change," Adam said matter-of-factly.

"That makes sense," Kelvin agreed.

"Whatever," Rafi muttered.

"That's a good idea, Tricky! Reliable! Come here! You can't change with them!" Gregory called, the animals were never allowed around us when we changed, because it could be dangerous, they were fast enough and strong enough to keep up on the ground if we flew, because of the bond we share.

"_Mutatio!_" Rafi and I shouted, but just as the bubbles that would envelope us were leaving the Chamaran and Yolonon, Tricky and Reliable got away from Gregory and Lilly, they sprinted towards us and jumped into the bubbles. A huge blast of hot air pounded into us and we all ended up five or ten feet from where we originally were standing.

"_What the Hell was that!!_"

* * *

**(Alrighty! I have had this chapter written for about five days... I know, I know, I'm horrible! But i've been very busy what with school starting and getting a load of homework and whatnot. I am really sorry for not updating, i will try really hard from now on to make it a regular thing... but I'm not making any promises. I have golf tryouts tomorrow and the rest of the week, and if i make it (which i most likely will... thirteen girls are trying out, and there's ten spots on the team) i will have practice everyday after school and most likley a tournament ivery other week... ugh! I'm so stressed right now! Give me luck! Oh, and I've only been getting two reviews a chapter, so I'm hoping i get at least three this chapter. i wont stop writing or do anything drastic, but i might not leave a nice long a/n for you the next chapter.)**


	14. Getting Angry and Reliving Darkness

**Ch. 14**

**Getting Angry and Reliving Darkness**

* * *

**(STILL Lena's POV… but Rafi's will be at least next chapter, I promise)**

"_What the Hell was that!!"_ shouted Naomi, who had been thrown the farthest by the impact of the explosion or whatever it was.

Grunts, groans, and moans came from all around me, as my family started to get up.

"Kids? Kids! Are you okay?" yelled Lilly, obviously worried, but hadn't been as affected by the force of impact as the rest of us.

"Where's Tricky?" I asked worriedly, and had a sudden epiphany as I realized how much I loved my kitten. A silver face was suddenly close to mine, accept it wasn't Tricky, or at least it wasn't the young adult cat that had been only the size of my arm only a few seconds ago. This cat was now full grown, and if it stood up on its hind legs, would be bigger than me. Tricky was now incredibly huge. A rough tongue suddenly swiped the length of my face, and I groaned then laughed.

"This has never happened before! Both Tricky and Reliable now share a part of your powers that we didn't know existed. If only we had known! Think of the possibility this has! Now you all can be in six places at once, instead of five!" Gregory was talking excitedly to no one in particular.

"But how do they change back?" Rafi asked, rubbing between Reliable's newly acquired wings. Reliable was now the size of a small bear, I don't know how he will be able to fit in the dorms at school.

"I don't think that they can. I doubt that they will be able to control the elements, but they might just have the speed and strength." Lilly answered.

I stared at Rafi through this, not really paying attention, but getting most of what Lilly said. I knew he knew that I was looking at him, because he glanced at me and met my eyes for all of two seconds, and then quickly started wrestling with Reliable.

I just couldn't understand why he was so angry with me. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd spoken with him, I'd pushed that meeting away with so much force, I couldn't recall if I'd done or said anything to make him angry. I was nearly to the point of having an emotional breakdown, I knew in my heart that he was my best friend, I also knew that at some point in my life he would be much, much more than that.

* * *

Eventually, we were ready to leave again, with instructions to call Lilly and Gregory the minute we landed and went to orientation. We were also instructed to prick our fingers and add a drop of our blood to every stone that represented each of us. As soon as we did that, the stones started to glow a little, but the glow eventually faded to a gentle pulse and then to nothing, but the stones looked different somehow. They held more meaning, to all of us now.

"Alright, so can we finally change? I'm ready to leave. I haven't seen anything but this land in two or more months," Naomi whined, I guess she wasn't intending to hurt Lilly or Gregory, but it did. Both of their faces fell, and neither of them tried to this fact.

"She didn't mean that the way it came out," Kiki put in, having seen what I did.

"Yeah, she's just the social butterfly, and having no one but us for the last two months has been hard, especially because she isn't the Queen anymore…" Manda let the statement hang, and Naomi looked down in shame at the shallowness she knew we all saw in her. Kelvin reached for her hand, and linked his pinky with hers. The gesture was so tiny, but yet it was so sentimental, I felt a sob form in my throat. Then a pinprick of memory came at me, scared out of my mind, I pushed it back as far as I could. Right now, I was just starting to forget my terrible past, and just in one gesture, Kelvin had somehow made those memories float to the surface.

I shook my head frantically, trying to just shake the whole memory out of my head. I didn't even really know if it was one from back then or from something more recent, but I wasn't going to let that kind of pain find me now. I just shoved it into that closet and locked the door.

"If you guys are going to make it there by tomorrow for orientation, I suggest you go now," Gregory said, comforting Lilly who was crying.

"I'm sorry, I didn't fell like crying until three seconds ago! I know I'll see you soon, but its just these uncontrollable emotions!"

I nodded in understanding. I remembered when I was pregnant; I had cried often, something minor like splashing water on my shirt could've se me off at that time.

Without looking at Rafi—I knew he wouldn't return my gaze—I shouted, "_Mutatio!_"

We'd done this enough times to know not to freak out, or let ourselves fall after the bubbles released us. With a simultaneous glance from all twelve of us, now including the animals, we flew towards the west, only stopping to eat and rest a little. When it grew dark, I gave the order to stop and make camp (which mostly consisted of Rafi, Manda, Adam, and I using our powers to call up two sturdy rock-caves; Tara, and Brendan I making a fire in the center; Kelvin and Naomi creating a fresh water well; and Kiki and Landan using air to create a protective bubble around our camp). We just instinctively knew how this was done, like a bird knowing how to build its nest, or a spider knowing how to spin a web.

After changing back, eating, and getting ready for bed, I finally laid down on the sheet covered moss bedding on the floor of the cave, and tried to sleep. The sheets were green, so the moss wouldn't stain it, and Lilly had given them to us as a sort of going away present. I hated how they always spent money on us. I was glad that I could now access my own money and return the favor. I was sixteen now, I was on my way to Solaris, and I felt completely alone.

The girls were okay, but I knew that we could never get as close as Rafi and I were. He was my other half, the part of me that had been lost when I was abandoned as a little girl by her parents, then again by her brother, and then cruelly raped and had her child taken from her. In a moment of epiphany, I suddenly realized that with every blow to my soul in the past six

Years, parts of me escaped, parts of me went and hid somewhere, somewhere I could find them and sooner or later be whole again.

And those parts of me had taken refuge with Rafi. They had liked the soul they'd attached to so much, that they stayed, and that was why I felt so horrible. I felt horrible, because Rafi was blocking me from my newly reunited parts.

I sighed a deep heavy sigh, wishing my mind would be quiet so I can sleep. I felt part of Manda's mind try and enter mine, so I let the block to her release.

_What's wrong?_ She asked, how come she's so perceptive?

_It's rafi, he wont talk to me, and wont look at me… I don't know, it's like he's trying to send a message through his hurt silence, but I don't know what it is._

_Well have you thought that maybe you did something wrong? What did you say to him the last time you did talk? _She asked, trying to be helpful. What she didn't know (I was still blocking her from reading my mind, only direct thoughts to her would get through, it was like having a filter over the connection, instead of a block) was that this was just depressing me and making my muscles tense with stress.

_I don't know! Can we just forget this for tonight? I'm tired._

I didn't wait for a reply; I just blocked her from me and shut out all thoughts that weren't of relaxing and being asleep.

* * *

The following morning, I woke up before everyone else, and ran to a bank in a nearby city. Filling out the proper forms, I accessed my bank account for the first time. Although, the sum in it was considerably more than I figured it would be. Which is probably because of the fact that my parents' company had grown considerably, making more products than any other company in history; and then there's the mall thing, which still freaks me out a little. I mean, I'd heard of Nate Vanderbilt before, he was the richest man in the world at the time he was alive—and it was a known fact that he was the most developed future seer in history. I guess the world just didn't know how developed.

I smiled at the woman behind the counter as she injected my arm with the I.D. needed to access the bank account.

I then ran at the exhilarating speed to the nearest car dealer. A man I expected to have the power of Speaking (the ability to talk anyone into almost anything as long as they're willing to be influenced) because of the way he immediately brought about an air of arrogance and certainty that I would buy whatever he wished me to buy for whatever price he could get out of me. What this man didn't know was that I now know how to stand my ground and say no.

"Hello! I'm Chimmie Laurent. What are you here to buy?" he asked with a voice that was way too loud and way too over-exaggerative.

"I'm not interested in small talk. I need a car that is able to hold ten people or more at once and is not too big or bulky," Chimmie's smile fell from his lips and his arrogant air left the vicinity. I didn't break his gaze until he pointed randomly across the lot.

"No. It's too long, and too boxy. I'm sorry, but how long have you worked here?" I asked.

"Fi—Five years." I smiled politely and walked away towards the man with the manager script on the back of his vest. "Wait! I think I have the perfect thing! But money has to be no object. This car isn't even on the market yet."

"Then how do you know about it?"

"I—uh—well, my wife kind of helped design it. Plus, I saw them bring it in yesterday."

"Alright, show it to me. What does it do?"

"It has the highest horsepower rating out there, and can nearly break the speed of light… which, as you know is illegal because of the effects it has on the digestive tract. But this car is one of a kind, the technology they put into it is so secretive only five people in the world know how to make it. Whoever sits in the driver's seat of this car is instantly connected to anything inside of the car. So if your cell phone is sitting in the bottom of your purse in the trunk, you can answer it just by thinking about picking it up. And if you want complete privacy, the windows will tint to the darkest color possible. It will even change color and texture beneath you for camouflage and for the fun of it. Also, it can change shape. So if you have two people in the car at one moment, and stop and pick up eight more, the car automatically will make room, meaning that it will arrange the inside to have enough seating. And there will always be legroom. The only things your passengers can do to the car is adjust the seats, open the doors, and change their air conditioning vent settings." This guy really new his stuff, and once he dropped his Speaking power he was actually a very cool guy.

"Alright, so what's the price?"

"Well… that's the only thing wrong with it. This car costs 3,000,000"

"Money is no object," I smiled and flashed him the coyest smile I could muster.

"Really? How old are you?"

I then noticed that this man was in his mid thirties, maybe early forties. His hair was starting to bald on top and he had tried to use a growth hormone to grow it back, but had obviously bought the wrong color.

"I'm… well, I'm 16."

"Where did you get this money?"

"Well, you see, my name is Lena Devynne, and I'm basically the one of the richest girls in the world."

"You—you! You're one of the heirs to the For Thought's Sake fortune? One of the six that was in Nate Vanderbilt's will?"

"Yes," I said drawing it out and putting more of a questioning tone to it than I meant to.

"You're like royalty or something!" the man started blubbering. I looked down at my wrist, seeing that every stone on it but mine was glowing faintly, meaning that my family was under a stressful situation.

"Just give me the friggen car! I have to go!"

The man quickly unlocked the door we were standing in front of, and I jumped in. "Scan my code now!" I said, entering a frantic state of panic, I held out my wrist so he could scan the I.D. from the almost unnoticeable lump in my wrist. "Where are the keys?" I asked.

"You don't need them. The car recognizes its owner by the I.D. in their wrist, it has to be the same one the car was sold to and the way you let someone else drive is by entering their I.D., into the system, just hold it up to the steering wheel."

I followed instructions and the car roared to life underneath me. "This has a full tank of wheat right?"

"Yes, why the rush?"

"My family is in trouble."

I left the man spluttering and sweating in the garage that I sped out of just in time for the garage door to be over the top of the car.

* * *

Chimmie had been right, this car did go fast, faster than me running, and I barely had to do anything. The car just followed my mind to the campsite.

"Where the hell have you been?" Naomi, Kiki, Manda, and Tara asked the moment I was out of the car.

"What the hell is _that?_" asked the boys at the same time.

"First, I was out buying this, and second, it is the newest model of car out there and is most likely more expensive than our new school."

"Impossible! This thing isn't even on the market yet!" Brendan said, climbing in the drivers seat.

"I know, the guy at the lot told me. Now everyone get in! I said, pushing Brendan into the passenger seat and instructing the car to expand and make room for all of us.

"What about our stuff?" asked Manda.

"We'll tie it to the top." I stated, and at that exact moment, strong cables from on top of the car picked up our bags and tied them to the roof.

"Wow." Nine voices said at once. I was speechless. This was like having nine people in my head all over again.

"What about putting down the shelter?" worried Tara.

"_Reverto__!_" I shouted, throwing my hand out at the shelters and everything in them. All signs of us having been there were erased.

Looking happy, everyone climbed into a seat. Which were arranged with three up front, and four along each side of the back, like a limo. There were also two special seats for Tricky and Reliable right behind mine and Brendan's seats.

I drove for about fifty miles, going the speed limit this time, and stopped at a diner when I felt minds pushing at mine with feelings of hunger.

"…And then he like started worshipping me or something!" I ended my telling of getting the car from Chimmie for the third time, still getting laughs out of everyone from my interpretation of Chimmie's facial expressions.

"It's not that funny," Rafi said from his place in the farthest seat from me. He hadn't said a word to anyone the whole ride, and had looked undoubtedly pissed for quite some time. I still knew he cared for me, because his stone had said he was worried about me when no one could find me, so I still couldn't figure out why he was so angry.

"You know what? You guys go ahead, Rafi and I will stay here and talk," Rafi glared at me for this, and the car started to shift and change around us. Suddenly, the others were standing outside and only Rafi and I were left in the car, sitting side by side.

Four girls turned simultaneously, hands on hips, eyebrows raised, staring straight at me. I knew what they wanted.

_Later_, I thought-said.

They turned away and linked arms with each other, talking animatedly about something or another. While Tricky and Reliable went sniffing around, looking quite peculiar with wings on their backs.

I turned to Rafi; I just stared at him for a minute. When he tried to get out, I automatically wished he couldn't unlock his door, and the locks disappeared and the door basically spread seamlessly into the rest of the interior. I love this car!

Then I saw the look in Rafi's eyes, not the pissed off expression on the surface, what was really behind his feelings was hurt. "Rafi…" I pleaded, reaching toward him, he just moved away from my hand.

I turned and glared out the front window, only to see strangers staring at us out of the diner's window. The windows tinted darker than I thought possible, and I suddenly was looking at my own reflection. Did I mention I loved this car?

Anger still bubbled inside of me, so before I blew up I turned back to Rafi. "What the hell is going on with you? Why are you so pissed off?"

"Think back to the last thing I said to you. Then think about the answer you gave me." Was his only reply.

That pinprick of remembrance came back, and this time I accepted it. I was suddenly flashed back to about a week ago. Of what Rafi said that night, and of what I'd said in reply.

"I don't understand."

"Of course you wouldn't! You're so self absorbed! Lena, I told you that I loved you, and you said 'That's really funny'! Lena, I love you, and if you can't love me back, I need you to tell me that right now!"

I stared at him for a moment, and suddenly burst out laughing. "See! How can you be laughing? If you were in my position, you wouldn't think it was funny!"

"That's not it Rafi!" I said, calming down and getting serious, "If that's what you think, you don't know me as well as you thought."

"I know you well enough," was what he said, but what he really meant was that he knows I'm always going to be too afraid to tell him what I really felt and what I really needed him for.

"Rafi, I'm sorry, but I just can't say that right now." He turned around and glared out the window again.

"Come on Lena," he spoke to the dark glassy surface like it had done him some horrible wrong. "We both know you will never be able to say that to me, or anyone for that matter. You'll never heal as wholly as you think you have already."

"Rafi, you don't understand. You would never be able to understand all of the hurt that I feel and all the betrayal I've had to face," I gripped the steering wheel with so much force, I wondered at how the organic plastic didn't crack.

He turned his serious eyes on me, staring down into my own eyes and not trying to hide any of the hurt he felt. "Show me, and I'll tell you if I've never felt it before. Show me, and I'll be the one to judge whether or not I haven't felt that betrayal."

I knew exactly what he meant, but I didn't want to relive any of those feelings, I'd locked them in that dark closet for so long, I have no idea how powerful they've become. I have no idea if I can even take the helpless aching that would start in my chest. So I shifted my gaze down and messed with my hair. "I wouldn't know how to do that," I lied, biting my lip and looking back up at his face.

"Don't lie to me Lena. I've known you long enough to have figured out that you mess with your hair and won't look people in their eyes when you lie to them. Open your connection and let me feel it, _let me in._" His voice had taken on a hostile tone, and his expression was severe.

I did as he said, _Don't complain to me if it gives you nightmares._ I tried to make my thoughts sound hostile or sarcastic, but you can't manipulate your thoughts like you can your voice. It came out sounding weak, breathless and scared to the point of crying.

I closed my eyes, and imagined myself walking down a long hallway; at the end of it was a large dark door, with a huge golden lock in the middle of it. Shaking, I turned around and made sure Rafi was there, he just stared severely at me. I continued on, the walk seemingly taking forever.

When I finally reached the door, I slowly took a deep breath and pulled the imaginary key out of my pocket. It fit perfectly into the keyhole and before I could even reach the door handle, dark things slammed open the door and bombarded us.

_**Ten years ago...**_

_A little girl of about ten was playing in a vast yard with four of her friends. Suddenly, they stopped what they were doing and stared towards the house, where a strange man was walking towards them, a boy of about 12 following closely behind, urgently shouting at the man._

"_What are you here to tell us? Where are our parents?" the boy was rude and arrogant, but was obviously completely idolized by his sister, who looked just like him at this point in time._

"_Chance? What's going on?" asked the young Lena._

"_This man just barged in and wanted to know where everyone was, said something about needing to talk to all of us!"_

"_Yes, children, I have some very grave news. There was a fire in your parents' factory. We haven't been able to contact them in any way, and no one knows where they've gone. Someone saw them all leave about three hours before the fire, but no one knows where to begin to look for them."_

_For the next few months, we see the kids worriedly staying in the house and watching for their parents, neighbors would come by claiming to have looked all day, only to find nothing. The six kids were placed in foster care or went to stay with very distant relatives. Only the twins and the Brother and Sister get to stay together._

_**Three years later…**_

_Chance and Lena are seen sitting on an old bunk bed that had long since lost its counterpart. Neither one looks like the other except for the brilliant purple color of their eyes._

"_Lena, I'm going to be leaving for Pandora tomorrow," said the fair-haired Chance, pulling at a thread in the comforter. His tall frame towered over his smaller sister by more than a few inches._

"_What? You're going to leave me here? Alone? Chance, I can't do that. Don't leave me! Take me with you!" pleaded Lena, slight and darker haired._

"_Lena, it's either going alone, or I'll never learn to master these powers and never be able to hold down a job when I'm older, which would mean I couldn't take care of you like I promised. I have to do this."_

_Lena is seen running from the room crying, and doesn't even say goodbye to her brother the next day._

_Weeks pass and the orphan system demands that Lena is moved to another Foster home. She tries to refuse, makes excuses that her brother is going to visit at anytime and take her with him. In the end, she is forced to move to a new foster home, one that just opened. The foster family already has one little girl, only slightly younger than Lena. With perfectly straight blonde hair and dark eyes, she looks like a lost soul._

_One day, the father came home late, drunk, disheveled, and angry. His green shirt was torn in many places and it looked like he'd been in a fight._

"_Come here! Since the wife isn't here to please me, I'll have to do with you two!" and he proceeded to rape the girls, completely bruising them from head to toe and threatening them with things worse than death if they contacted the police._

_Weeks passed, the wife still didn't come home; her mother was sick and needed her care more than the kids she'd taken on. More and more kids showed up everyday, but the man only hurt Lena and the first girl._

_The wife came back after a length of time, and the raping stopped, but Lena's stomach grew and grew with the baby she grew to love. When the day came that Lena was to deliver, the others—not including the man—were at the zoo, having left Lena behind because of her condition._

_Lena went into labor early in the afternoon and had a quick birth in the bathroom. The man seemed to have changed morals during the time, but instead of giving Lena her child back after 'cleaning' it, he drowned it in the sink and left it to die as its enraged mother went after him with a vengeance._

I gasped for breath, tears running freely down my face and sobs wracking my body so hard that I couldn't get in any actual breath. I'd somehow ended up in Rafi's arms, and by the way his shoulders were shaking slightly, I knew he was crying too. I immediately cut off our connection and tried to lock the memories back in the closet, but it couldn't seem to hold them anymore.

"They wont go back!" I started to scream frantically, rocking back and forth in Rafi's arms and holding my head in my hands.

Rafi became beside himself in worry, "What wont go back?" he shouted, trying to keep be from scratching my face.

"The memories! The feelings! They won't stay in the closet!"

I've gone crazy, I thought, my awful past has made me go crazy!

"Lena, Lena, it's okay. You win. Nothing is as bad as what you've been through. I now understand that you won't be able to say those words to me for a long time."

I still wouldn't calm down. "No, Rafi. I _will _say them. Maybe not now, but soon. In the next two years, I will say those three words to you!"

"Lena, calm down!"

I stared up at him frantically, "Promise me!" I whispered.

"Promise you what?" he asked, a surge of relief made his shoulders sag as I finally stopped screaming and crying.

"I've been trying so hard for so long not to get involved that I've forgotten what it's like to have a crush, or to get butterflies in my stomach when I'm around someone I like. You're the first guy I've met for a long time that has gotten this type of reaction from me." I took his face into my hands and looked into his eyes. "When I say those three words for the first time to you, it'll be special and you have to promise me right now that you'll believe me."

"I promise." He breathed, I smiled and let go of his head, getting ready to get out of the car, he suddenly pulled me back in and kissed me with more passion than I knew possible.

"I love you Lena Devynne," he said, that smile I loved back on his face. I would've said something right then, but I was still trying to catch my breath as he got out of the car, which had opened the doors long ago, patiently waiting for us to exit.

* * *

**(so this chapter is like three pages longer than it was originally… and Lena went a lil crazy… idk what to think. I'll prolly rewrite it soon. Review!)**


	15. Hi guys!

**Hi guys!!! If your reading this, that means you liked this story enough to put it on your alert list!**

**Well congrats to you! Because you're the first to know that I am restarting this story… again. Lol**

**I have a much better plot line and many more ideas, which would not fit into what I already have in this version. So look for it coming soon! It will be under a new name, although I'm not sure what that will be yet…**

**I will post another alert on here when I do get it up!**


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